A Brooklyn Park, Minnesota man has been sentenced to over 16 years in federal prison for his role in a cocaine distribution conspiracy that led to the death of a young woman in Dubuque, Iowa. Michael Samuel Knight, aged 38, pleaded guilty on September 10, 2024, to conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine within proximity to parks and schools between 2017 and April 2021. He also admitted to distributing the cocaine on February 14, 2021, which resulted in the woman's death.
During the plea hearing, Knight acknowledged his involvement with a group distributing cocaine in Dubuque. He obtained the drug from a supplier who transported it from Chicago and collaborated with others for its distribution locally. On February 14, 2021, he provided cocaine to the young woman who later died after using it.
United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Knight in Cedar Rapids. The sentence includes imprisonment for 201 months and 19 days and an order for $13,911 restitution to the victim’s family. Following his release from prison, Knight will serve an eight-year supervised release term. Federal sentencing does not allow parole.
Knight remains in United States Marshal's custody pending transfer to a federal facility.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Nicole Nagin under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the Department of Justice. This case involved cooperation among multiple agencies including the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office; and Dubuque Drug Task Force comprising local police and sheriff's offices. The OCDETF program targets high-level criminal organizations through coordinated multi-agency efforts.
Further details about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.