Andy Hoffman, The Hawk Eye, Burlington, Iowa –
A Burlington man is in the Des Moines County jail in lieu of a $255,000 bond on charges of delivery and possession of crack and powder cocaine.
Marcus Allen Johnson, 36, was charged Friday in Des Moines County District Court with three counts of delivery of crack cocaine, two counts of possession of crack and powder cocaine and one count of failing to have a drug stamp.
If convicted, he could be sentenced to 55 years in prison and fined in excess of $100,000.
Sgt. Adam Schaeffer, a member of the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force, said the high bond was the result of the charges filed against him. He said the delivery and possession charges each carrying a $50,000 bond and not having a tax stamp carries a bond of $5,000.
Johnson was arrested by members of the task force following the execution of a search warrant of Johnson’s residence, 809 S. 13th St., at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
“Inside the residence, detectives located … many items indicative of the sale/distribution of narcotics,” according to information contained in the arrest warrant.
Approximately 5.28 grams of crack cocaine, 15.18 grams of powder cocaine and $600 in cash were found inside the residence. In addition, SEINT officers found “packaging material, a digital scale, plastic sandwich bags … and a container with residue used to manufacture crack cocaine.”
At the time of the search, police also located four other individuals inside. Johnson told investigators he lived at the residence with a 29-year-old woman and her children.
Schaeffer said he would not say “one way or the other” if Johnson was a “major drug dealer” in the Burlington area.
“Whether you deliver small amounts of drugs or large amounts of drugs, you are still affecting the community,” he said.
Des Moines County Associate District Judge Mark Kruse ordered Johnson to next appear in court at 2 p.m. Nov. 2. He also appointed the public defender’s office to represent Johnson on the felony charges.
In addition to SEINT officers, members of the Burlington Police Department and the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Department participated in the raid.
The case is part of an ongoing investigation into drug sales in the Des Moines County area, authorities said.
