Henry County Sheriff’s Office assists in meth distribution conviction

DAVENPORT — Through partnership with multiple agencies, Henry County Sheriff’s Office assisted in an investigation which led to a Burlington man receiving a sentence of 25 years in federal prison on Jan. 23 for Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine.

“According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Larry Keith Knotts, III, 36, conspired to distribute over 65 kilograms of Methamphetamine,” A news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Iowa stated. “As a part of the conspiracy, Knotts possessed a dangerous weapon and attempted to influence a witness.”

“After completing his term of imprisonment, Knotts will be required to serve five years of supervised release,” it also stated. “There is no parole in the federal system.”

According to a news release from December 2022, Knotts was charged along with five others in federal court as a result of a joint federal and state investigation of a drug trafficking organization that operated out of Burlington.

Henry County Police worked alongside the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Taskforce, Burlington Police Department, Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office, West Burlington Police Department, Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigating this case.

“This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts,” the news release states. “Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.”