Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A man involved in the sale of heroin and cocaine near Loras College in 2017 and 2018 has been sentenced to over two years in federal prison. Willie Smith, aged 27, from Chicago, Illinois, was given this sentence following his guilty plea on September 25, 2024. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin within 1000 feet of Loras College and one count of distribution of heroin within the same proximity.
During his plea, Smith admitted to collaborating with others to sell these drugs from a house near the college. United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Smith in Cedar Rapids. He received a prison term of 33 months and will also serve a six-year supervised release period after completing his imprisonment. It is noted that there is no parole available in the federal system.
Currently, Smith is held in the custody of the United States Marshal until he can be moved to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Nicole Nagin. The investigation was conducted under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program by the United States Department of Justice. This effort included cooperation from several agencies: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office, Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque Sheriff’s Office, and Dubuque Drug Task Force.
