Davenport man gets prison time for drug, firearm charges

A Davenport man originally from Chicago was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to 228 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Chovontae Martise Farmer was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay $200 to the Crime Victims’ Fund, according to a news release from United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa.

Farmer, 30, was identified by law enforcement as a participant in an active drug conspiracy that was responsible for the large scale distribution of heroin, fentanyl purported to be heroin, and methamphetamine in the Quad Cities.

Farmer is the seventh member of the conspiracy who has been prosecuted to-date.

Between October 2020 and December 2020, Farmer worked with other members of the conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl purported to be heroin.

On December 10, 2020, law enforcement arrested Farmer and executed a search warrant on his hotel room.

During the search, officers located distribution quantities of a heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl-fentanyl mixture; ice methamphetamine; drug packaging materials; a digital scale; $5,370 in drug proceeds; and both a loaded and stolen Sig Sauer Model P230 firearm. Farmer later admitted in a post-Miranda interview to working with other conspirators to distribute significant quantities of drugs in the Quad-Cities.

Farmer further admitted to obtaining the firearm found in his hotel room for protection.

The Bettendorf Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.