WATERLOO -- A man accused of selling crack cocaine and owning a fighting dog said he wants to help keep young people out of trouble.

Convicted of possession of crack cocaine with intent to deliver and dog fighting, Walter Hoskins IV, 20, asked the court Monday not to send him to prison but to allow him to go to schools and churches to do his part for the community.

"I've been shot, I've been to jail. I don't want to go to prison," said Hoskins, who took a bullet in the arm in 2001 when he was 15.

He wants to start a program called Make A Difference -- MAD -- to help youth.

While repeatedly maintaining his innocence, Hoskins told Judge George Stigler he also said he wanted to join the military to get his life on track.

Stigler said Hoskins's plea was compelling and might have been convincing if it wasn't for the fact these were his fifth, sixth and seventh convictions for drug and other offenses.

"You've got a proven history," Stigler said. "Enough is enough."

The judge said earlier brushes with the law hadn't gotten the attention of Hoskins, whom he said was injecting poison into the community to make a profit without caring about the harm he was spreading.

"You simply see this as a business," Stigler said.

The most serious charge, possession of more than 50 grams of crack with intent to deliver, garnered a maximum of 100 years in prison when considering sentencing enhancements because of prior convictions.

Stigler imposed the 100-year sentence and ran prison time for the other convictions -- felony dog fighting, drug tax stamp violation and four probation violations -- concurrent.

Hoskins has to serve at least one third -- about 33 years -- of the drug charge as a mandatory minimum.

While Hoskins was on probation for earlier cases, police found him with his dog, "Fifty," when they responded to a call about a dog fight near a park in April 2006. Fifty had injuries consistent with illegal dog fighting, and Hoskins was arrested.

Then, while he was awaiting trial for the dog fighting charge, police were sent to a fireworks complaint near a home on Adams Street where he was living. They allegedly found half a pound of crack with a street value of about $40,000 -- and other items, authorities said.

Hoskins was convicted of the drug charges at trial and pleaded to dog fighting last month.

Fifty, who was home quarantined twice in 2005 after biting people, was put to sleep in July after being declared a dangerous animal.

Contact Jeff Reinitz at (319) 291-1578 or jeff.reinitz@wcfcourier.com.