Chicago Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Iowa Crack Conspiracy

A man who conspired to distribute crack cocaine was sentenced March 26, 2013, to more than 14 years in federal prison.

Christopher Ward-Malone, 23, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after an October 29, 2012, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.

At the guilty plea, Ward-Malone admitted to conspiring to distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine from about 2010 through June 2012. Ward-Malone would obtain crack cocaine from sources in Sioux City, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska, and then distribute the crack cocaine to individuals in Sioux City, Iowa.

Ward-Malone was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett. Ward-Malone was sentenced to 170 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Ward-Malone is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 12-4068.