Feds will take over drug charges in Charles City case

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com 

A Detroit man who was arrested on felony drug charges near Charles City on New Year’s Eve is now facing charges in federal court.

As a result, the Floyd County Attorney’s Office has moved to dismiss the state charges against Keith Bernard Tucker, age 50.

According to court documents, Tucker was stopped for a traffic violation near the northwest exit from Highway 218/27 to Charles City, on Dec. 31, 2018. In his possession was allegedly found a brown powdery substance about the size of a softball, wrapped in several packaging materials.

He also had a loaded .45-caliber handgun on the passenger seat, the criminal complaint says.

Tucker admitted to the substance being heroin, and said he was delivering it from Detroit to Mason City, the court document says. The substance tested positive for heroin and weighed more than 100 grams.

Later, when Tucker was being booked into the Floyd County Jail, he was found to have marijuana tucked into his sock, the court records allege.

Tucker was charged in Floyd County District Court with possession with intent to deliver heroin, while in possession of a firearm, a Class B felony. He was also charged with possession of contraband on the grounds of a correctional facility, a Class D felony.

Tucker pleaded not guilty to both charges.

On Friday, Feb. 1, Randall Tilton, assistant Floyd County attorney, filed a motion to dismiss the charges without prejudice because Tucker has been indicted on federal charges based on the same evidence that formed the state charges.

Dismissing the charges without prejudice means they could be refiled at a later time if there was a reason to do so.

In the indictment filed Jan. 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, in Cedar Rapids, Tucker was charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a drug user.