A Burlington man was sentenced on January 23, 2024, to 25 years in federal prison 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. 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. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by 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.

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. 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.

On January 20, 2024, at approximately 8:00 p.m., Craig Dee Smith, age 40, of Ottumwa was reported as a missing person to the Ottumwa Police Department by his roommate. The roommate advised that he had not had any contact with Smith for two weeks. Below is a picture of Smith.

Smith is 6 foot tall and weighs around 240 pounds. Smith was wearing jeans, a hooded sweatshirt and a black coat when he left his residence. It was also reported that Smith could have been heading to see a friend in Keokuk County, IA.

If anyone has information on Smith’s whereabouts, they are requested to contact the Ottumwa Police Department at 641-683-0661.

On the first of the year just after 2 in the morning, Police Officers were dispatched to Lucky’s Irish Pub and Grub, in reference to a large fight in progress. The first officer arrived less than 60 seconds after being dispatched, with three more officers arriving on scene in less than three minutes.

While officers were on scene, they discovered a male victim who received multiple stab wounds during an altercation. The stabbing took place just outside of the establishment. One of the officers immediately rendered aid, placing a tourniquet on the subject, and requesting medical assistance through the dispatch center.

The victim was transported via Lee County Ambulance Service to a designated landing location for an air evacuation. The victim was then taken by helicopter to a medical facility, where they received treatment and would be released several days later.

Officers secured and processed the scene, collecting evidence, taking photographs, and speaking with possible witnesses. It was determined that this was an isolated incident and there was not an ongoing threat to the public.

This investigation was transferred to the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) on January 2, 2024. The CID continued conducting interviews, collecting evidence, and following up on information received. A search warrant was served in connection with this investigation, where additional evidence was collected. Some of the evidence has been delivered to the Department of Criminal Investigations crime lab in Ankeny, Iowa, for further analysis.

This is an ongoing investigation, and the KPD encourages the public to contact our police department with any additional information regarding this event. The community plays a large role in helping their department suppress crime and keeping our community safe. You can reach our department through our social media (Facebook Messenger), the LeeComm dispatch center (319-372-1310), Lee County Crime Stoppers, calling our department directly (319-524-2741), or coming to the police department in person (1222 Johnson Street, Keokuk).