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Houston faces federal drug charge
By Cindy Iutzi/Gate City Staff Writer
DAVENPORT - A federal grand jury indicted a Keokuk businessman and a former mayor Thursday in Davenport for drug trafficking.
Roger Houston, owner of Houston Brother's Heating and Air, Keokuk, and Richard Summy, former mayor of Wilton, were charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana. The grand jury returned the indictment at 6:30 p.m. at the federal courthouse in Davenport.
The federal charges against Houston are based on the discovery of a large marijuana growing business by Lee County Narcotics Task Force investigators on Sept. 27 in a Keokuk Main Street building Houston owns.
“It's a felony charge,” said Al Overbaugh, who handles public relations for the U.S. Attorney's Office. “Because it is a federal charge, if they are convicted the minimum mandatory sentence is five years and the maximum is 40. There is no possibility of parole. They'll have to do 85 percent of it.”
Houston appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas J. Shields at 2:50 p.m. in Davenport, entered a not guilty plea and was released on his signature, Overbaugh said. Attorney John Moeller of Davenport is representing Houston.
Summy is scheduled to make his initial court appearance today.
Houston and Summy will be tried together as codefendants. At this point, the trial is scheduled for Jan. 2, but Overbaugh said it is not uncommon for such trials to be continued.
Melissa Zaehringer will prosecute the case for the government.
The indictment was based on an investigation that started with a confidential informant in Des Moines telling an agent with the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement that he or she had been buying half-pound and greater amounts of marijuana from Summy, 12 times from May 2004 through September 2005, according to a search warrant served on Randall Anderson of Keokuk.
Summy told investigators he was getting the marijuana from Anderson, and thought Anderson had an indoor marijuana growing business, the search warrant says.
The Muscatine County Drug Task Force passed the information to the Lee County Narcotics Task Force. The task force obtained search warrants and Anderson's property at 219 Morgan St., was raided.
In exchange for immunity, Anderson gave a sworn statement about the marijuana operation at 417 Main St., Keokuk, property owned by Houston.
During the execution of the search warrant at Huston's Main Street property, 500 to 700 pounds of explosives used to make fireworks were discovered in the building as well as a large amount of loose marijuana in garbage bags, seeds and plants believed to be marijuana in various stages of growth; plastic bags of all sizes and brands; drying racks; and other materials used to grow and package marijuana, the court documents say.
Assistant Capt. Dave Hinton, Commander of the Lee County Narcotic Task Force said no further investigation is being carried out and no additional local charges will be made.
“Our involvement in this matter has been typical,” Hinton said. “It's been the normal course of business, how things work out.
“The only thing out of the ordinary was that state charges weren't filed first.”
Roger Houston, owner of Houston Brother's Heating and Air, Keokuk, and Richard Summy, former mayor of Wilton, were charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana. The grand jury returned the indictment at 6:30 p.m. at the federal courthouse in Davenport.
The federal charges against Houston are based on the discovery of a large marijuana growing business by Lee County Narcotics Task Force investigators on Sept. 27 in a Keokuk Main Street building Houston owns.
“It's a felony charge,” said Al Overbaugh, who handles public relations for the U.S. Attorney's Office. “Because it is a federal charge, if they are convicted the minimum mandatory sentence is five years and the maximum is 40. There is no possibility of parole. They'll have to do 85 percent of it.”
Houston appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas J. Shields at 2:50 p.m. in Davenport, entered a not guilty plea and was released on his signature, Overbaugh said. Attorney John Moeller of Davenport is representing Houston.
Summy is scheduled to make his initial court appearance today.
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Melissa Zaehringer will prosecute the case for the government.
The indictment was based on an investigation that started with a confidential informant in Des Moines telling an agent with the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement that he or she had been buying half-pound and greater amounts of marijuana from Summy, 12 times from May 2004 through September 2005, according to a search warrant served on Randall Anderson of Keokuk.
Summy told investigators he was getting the marijuana from Anderson, and thought Anderson had an indoor marijuana growing business, the search warrant says.
The Muscatine County Drug Task Force passed the information to the Lee County Narcotics Task Force. The task force obtained search warrants and Anderson's property at 219 Morgan St., was raided.
In exchange for immunity, Anderson gave a sworn statement about the marijuana operation at 417 Main St., Keokuk, property owned by Houston.
During the execution of the search warrant at Huston's Main Street property, 500 to 700 pounds of explosives used to make fireworks were discovered in the building as well as a large amount of loose marijuana in garbage bags, seeds and plants believed to be marijuana in various stages of growth; plastic bags of all sizes and brands; drying racks; and other materials used to grow and package marijuana, the court documents say.
Assistant Capt. Dave Hinton, Commander of the Lee County Narcotic Task Force said no further investigation is being carried out and no additional local charges will be made.
“Our involvement in this matter has been typical,” Hinton said. “It's been the normal course of business, how things work out.
“The only thing out of the ordinary was that state charges weren't filed first.”
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