Sioux City Man to Federal Prison for 24 years for Meth Conspiracy Convictions

Johnnie A. Cannon, 38, from Sioux City, Iowa, formerly from Osceola, Arkansas, was sentenced on July 9, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City. 

On January 18, 2024, after a 3-day jury trial, Cannon was convicted, by jury verdict, of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of distributing and aiding and abetting another in the distribution of methamphetamine. 

The evidence in this case showed that Cannon conspired with others to distribute at least 19 pounds of methamphetamine from January 2021 through March 14, 2023.  Evidence further showed that on at least three occasions in February and March 2023, during three control drug purchase operations, Cannon was observed to provide ¼, ½ and ½ pounds of methamphetamine to a co-conspirator, who then in turn, distributed the methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement.  On March 14, 2023, during a traffic stop immediately following the last drug purchase operation, Cannon was found in possession of $3000 in pre-serialized, buy money used by law enforcement in the drug purchase.  In 2007 and 2008, respectively, Cannon was convicted of delivery of crack cocaine in Arkansas.  In 2010, in the Northern District of Iowa, he was federally convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.  Cannon was released from federal prison in 2019 and was on federal supervised release at the time he committed his new offenses.  

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Cannon was sentenced to 299 months’ imprisonment – 262 months on his new offense, plus 37 months’ consecutive thereto for revocation of his federal supervised release from his 2010 offense.  Cannon must serve a ten-year term of supervised release following imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system. Cannon remains in custody of the United States Marshal 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 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 at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 23-4023.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.