On Monday, November 22, 2021, two Burlington men were sentenced to prison by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey for their involvement in a drug conspiracy dating back to 2001.
Kendrick Ramon Page, age 39, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 340 months in prison and Breon Raquon Armstrong, age 20, also originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 210 months imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
Page, Armstrong, and six other co-defendants were federally charged in November 2019 following the execution of numerous search warrants in Burlington and elsewhere. Page and Armstrong were convicted by a jury in July 2021 of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including ice methamphetamine and cocaine base (a.k.a. crack cocaine). Page led this drug trafficking organization that operated primarily out of Burlington since approximately 2001, according to the evidence presented at trial. The evidence also showed Page recruited others, including Armstrong, to travel to Burlington from Shreveport to sell drugs for him.
At sentencing, the district court found Page was responsible for the distribution of over 100 pounds of ice methamphetamine. Both Page and Armstrong were found to have possessed firearms related to their drug trafficking activities and the district court found Page used credible threats of violence to further his drug trafficking activities.
Others charged included Alphonso Edmond, Jr., who pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing; Tristan Kareem Davis, who was found guilty by jury and is awaiting sentencing; Lavelle Harris, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 262 months in prison; Lamar Harris, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 210 months of imprisonment; Frederrick Dewayne Reed, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 160 months imprisonment; and Michael Rees, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 151 months of imprisonment. Other individuals associated with this drug trafficking organization have also been federally charged in the Southern District of Iowa, the Central District of Illinois, and the Northern District of Texas.
Southern District of Iowa United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal made the announcement. These charges stem from an investigation conducted by numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies including: the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Taskforce; Burlington Police Department; Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office; Federal Bureau of Investigation; West Central Illinois Taskforce; Quincy, Illinois Police Department; Drug Enforcement Administration; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; Henry County Sheriff’s Office; Mt. Pleasant Police Department; West Burlington Police Department; Keokuk Police Department; Ft. Madison Police Department; Lee County Sheriff’s Office; Iowa City Police Department; Johnson County Sheriff’s Office; North Liberty Police Department; Coralville Police Department; Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office; Louisa County Sheriff’s Office; Washington County Sheriff’s Office; Bettendorf Police Department; Illinois State Police; Monmouth, Illinois Police Department; Macomb, Illinois Police Department; Galesburg, Illinois Police Department; Adams County, Illinois Sheriff’s Office; and Fulton County, Illinois Sheriff’s Office.
