QC agencies help in federal drug-trafficking case
By Daniel Kim
A federal jury on Tuesday convicted three men, all originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in Burlington and elsewhere as a part of a drug conspiracy dating back to 2008.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, 39-year-old Kendrick Ramon Page, 36-year-old Tristan Kareem Davis and 20-year-old Breon Raquon Armstrong entered an agreement with each other,
and others, to distribute crack cocaine and ice methamphetamine in Burlington and elsewhere.
Page relocated from Shreveport to Burlington while he was still in school and had brought others,
including Davis and Armstrong, from Shreveport to assist in drug trafficking activities, a news release says. Evidence showed Page had been involved in trafficking drugs in Burlington since the early 2000s.
The charges stem from a long-term investigation conducted by numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies including: the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Taskforce; Burlington Police; Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office; Federal Bureau of Investigation; West Central Illinois Taskforce; Quincy, Illinois, Police; Drug Enforcement Administration; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; Henry County Sheriff’s Office; Mt. Pleasant Police; West Burlington Police; Keokuk Police; Ft. Madison Police; Lee County Sheriff’s Office; Iowa City Police; Johnson County Sheriff’s Office; North Liberty Police; Coralville Police; Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office; Louisa County Sheriff’s Office; Washington County Sheriff’s Office; Bettendorf Police; Illinois State Police; Monmouth, Illinois, Police; Macomb, Illinois, Police; Galesburg, Illinois, Police; Adams County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office; and Fulton County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office, the release says.
“This case is a testament to the dedication and hard work of multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and our prosecution partners at the Des Moines County Attorney’s Office, working
together to bring a long standing drug organization to justice,” said Acting U. S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal.
“This was a long-term, collaborative investigation involving numerous investigators from many different agencies,” said Des Moines County Sheriff Kevin Glendengin. “The excellent work and tireless efforts of these investigators are a testament to their dedication to making our communities a safe place to live, work, and play. The Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office is proud to have worked together with all the law enforcement professionals involved in this investigation, and to get these dangerous narcotic distributors out of our communities.”
“This investigation was a fantastic collaboration between local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in a multi-state area,” said Donald Payton of the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation – Zone 4 Commander. “The number of arrests made during this investigation will make a significant impact on narcotic distribution in West Central Illinois, Southeast Iowa, and Northeast Missouri. The West Central Illinois Task Force will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors in Iowa and Missouri to aggressively combat the illegal distribution of narcotics in the tri-state area.”
Page, Davis, and Armstrong were among eight defendants who faced federal charges as a result of
an investigation in Burlington, Iowa; Quincy, Illinois; and elsewhere, which culminated in the
execution of search warrants on Nov. 19, 2019.
Others charged as a part of this drug trafficking organization included Alphonso Edmond, Jr., who pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing; Frederrick Dewayne Reed, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 160 months of imprisonment; Lavelle Harris, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 262 months of imprisonment; Lamar Harris, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 210 months of imprisonment; and Michael Rees, who pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
A conviction could carry a maximum sentence of 40 years to life in prison, officials said earlier.
Other individuals associated with this drug trafficking organization have been charged federally in the Southern District of Iowa, the Central District of Illinois, and the Northern District of Texas.
The case was prosecuted by the U. S. State’s Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
