Anthony Steven Hall Jr, Marijuana Trafficking with Firearm, IA 2016

Anthony Steven Hall, Jr., 31, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is headed to federal prison for 30 years after being caught with marijuana, a loaded firearm, and a trail of digital evidence linking him to drug distribution. Hall was sentenced Monday to 360 months behind bars following a June 14, 2016, jury conviction on three serious federal charges.

The trouble started April 13, 2015, during what officers thought would be a routine traffic stop. Hall was driving through Cedar Rapids when police pulled him over. A search of his vehicle revealed 63 individually wrapped bags of marijuana stashed in the center console — clear indication of intent to distribute. Tucked beside the drugs: a loaded .40 caliber pistol.

Hall didn’t stop lying there. When officers asked for ID, he gave a fake name and birth date. As they moved to arrest him, he tried to run and physically attacked one officer. The confrontation ended with Hall subdued and in custody, but not before making his case far worse.

Investigators seized Hall’s cell phone and uncovered a digital paper trail of his criminal enterprise. Text messages detailed marijuana sales. Video footage showed Hall brandishing a firearm during a prior encounter. The evidence left no doubt: Hall was dealing drugs and packing heat to protect his operation.

Chief U.S. District Judge Linda R. Reade handed down the maximum consequences. Hall was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison — 30 years with no chance of parole. He must also pay a $300 special assessment and serve five years of supervised release upon any future freedom.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa C. Williams and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force, a joint operation involving the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and Cedar Rapids Police Department. Hall remains in U.S. Marshal custody, awaiting transfer to federal prison. Case file 15-CR-55 is publicly accessible via the Northern District of Iowa’s court docket system. Follow @USAO_NDIA for updates.

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