Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Drugs to Keep Iowa City Hotdog Joint Open

An Iowa City business owner has entered a guilty plea to selling marijuana in order to keep his Iowa City business, Hawk Dawgs, afloat.

According to a police complaint, officers found money, guns and a sizable amount of marijuana during their Feb. 2011 search of a residence at 2387 Mehaffey Bridge Road, North Liberty. Ryan David Foust, 27, was allegedly implicated in a drug operation that was being run out of this residence.

In an interview with police following his arrest as a result of this search, Foust, the owner of Hawk Dawgs in Iowa City, allegedly admitted to selling the marijuana to help fund his hot dog business and keep it open. For this, Foust was charged with a controlled substance violation, money laundering and failure to affix a tax stamp.

Previous coverage: Man Thick in the Legal Weeds After Allegedly Finding Illegal Way to Keep His Hotdog Joint Smoking

Foust entered a guilty plea to these drug charges on Oct. 26 according to online court records and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 31. According to the Gazette, Foust's guilty plea was part of a deal made with Johnson County prosecutors.

Foust also soon after the February search allegedly led officers on a high speed chase and was charged with felony eluding and misdemeanor assault after he punched a passenger who called the police during the pursuit. According to court records, Foust pleaded guilty to these charges as well and will be sentenced at the same time.