Q–C woman shares son's heroin story with students

Andrew Rahn had a message for Quad–City middle–schoolers Monday morning but couldn't deliver it in person.

"You don't want to be where I'm at," his mother, Julia Rahn of Long Grove, said, echoing his words, during an assembly at Assumption High School, Davenport. Attending were hundreds of middle–school students from six area schools.

She spoke on behalf of her son because he's serving 10 years in federal prison on a drug conviction.

"Andy turned 21 locked up," Julia Rahn said. "That's not how I envisioned my son's future."

MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe from Chicago, which put on the assembly, invited Julia Rahn to speak. She said her only son encouraged her to share his story with a young audience.

Andrew Rahn was sentenced in July on drug charges connected to the heroin overdose death of his 18–year–old girlfriend, Tralee Duffey of Davenport.

MWAH!, which is made up mostly of teenagers, perform songs and skits about a range of adolescent issues like cyberbullying and addiction. Of the people profiled on stage, including "Glee" star Cory Monteith, who fatally overdosed on heroin last summer, Rahn's case hit closest to home.

He was convicted in U.S. District Court, Davenport along with David A. Weber, 53, of Bettendorf and Joseph L. Cooper, 76, of Rock Island.

In October, Weber was sentenced to 15 years in prison while Cooper was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

According to his plea agreement, Cooper admitted he was a heroin user and distributed heroin he bought from Chicago to Quad–City area users from his apartment at Spencer Towers, Rock Island. Cooper agreed to sell heroin to Weber and Rahn on June 6, 2012, records state.

Rahn, Weber and a young woman later identified as Duffey drove and met with Cooper outside his apartment building, records state. Weber and Rahn paid Cooper $150 for five bags of heroin.

Cooper admitted in the plea agreement that Weber had bought heroin from him on a regular basis, sometimes bringing others along with him.

Duffey died later that day after overdosing in Rahn's home.

"Andy was a good kid who was addicted to heroin," Julia Rahn said. "He was lucky. He got 10 years. His girlfriend was not lucky. He didn't mean for this to happen. I miss my son everyday."

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    For a WQAD-TV (Channel 8 - ABC) news video from the MWAH! presentation at Assumption High School in Davenport, Iowa on January 13, 2014, please click Here

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