Davenport Man Sentenced to 360 Months in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug Charges

DAVENPORT, Iowa - A Davenport man was sentenced on April 17, 2024, to 360 months in federal prison, for conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and/or possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and felon in possession of firearms.

According to public court documents evidence presented at trial and sentencing, Kpangbala Benyan Blamah, 34, was identified by law enforcement as a suspect in multiple shooting incidents. During that investigation, it was revealed that Blamah was a leader of a drug distribution conspiracy in and around the Quad City Metro area. Evidence showed that Blamah was coordinating several trips to California for him and other members of the conspiracy, including in some cases, minors that Blamah had recruited to be a part of the conspiracy. Evidence also showed that Blamah had packages of controlled substances mailed from California to Davenport to various residences of members of the conspiracy. In total, Blamah was responsible for over 1700 kilograms of controlled substances, including marijuana and cocaine.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Blamah 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 Davenport Police Department.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.