Dubuque Man Gets 20 Years in Prison For Fatal Overdose

A Dubuque man who sold a fatal opioid cocktail has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. 30 year old Carl Watkins previously pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids to one count of distribution of controlled substances resulting in death. The 20-year term was the minimum sentence he could have received, as he faced up to life behind bars. He must also serve three years of supervised release after prison and pay over $7,200 in restitution to the victim’s family for funeral expenses.  Authorities found 26 year old Cayla Jo Mutert, dead inside her Dubuque home on the night of August 5th of an apparent drug overdose. Watkins admitted that Mutert texted him on that day, looking for heroin. He sold her what was supposedly heroin. She fatally overdosed when she took the drugs later that night.