Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A man from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, has been sentenced to over 16 years in federal prison for his role in a cocaine distribution conspiracy that led to the death of a young woman in Dubuque. Michael Samuel Knight, aged 38, pleaded guilty on September 10, 2024, to conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine near parks and schools in Dubuque between 2017 and April 2021. The distribution resulted in the woman's death on February 14, 2021.
During the plea hearing, Knight admitted his involvement in distributing cocaine around Dubuque with others. He obtained the drug from an individual who transported it from Chicago and then distributed it locally. On February 14, 2021, he sold cocaine to a young woman who later died after using it.
United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Knight in Cedar Rapids to "201 months’ and 19 days imprisonment" and ordered him to pay $13,911 in restitution to the victim's family. Following his prison term, Knight will serve an eight-year supervised release period as there is no parole option available within the federal system.
Knight remains under custody by the United States Marshal until he is transferred to a federal prison facility.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Nicole Nagin. It was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program through collaboration among several agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office; and Dubuque Drug Task Force which includes members from both Dubuque Police Department and Dubuque Sheriff’s Office.
The OCDETF program aims at identifying and dismantling high-level criminal organizations posing threats across America using intelligence-driven strategies led by prosecutors along with multiple agencies working together effectively.
