A Cedar Rapids man was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to multiple felony offenses, including possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Deshawn Cooks, age 34, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 30, 2024 guilty plea. Cooks admitted to possessing 227 pills containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and 77 ecstasy pills, containing methamphetamine, which he intended to distribute in Cedar Rapids and the surrounding area.
Additionally, Cooks admitted that he possessed two Taurus 9mm caliber firearms for the purpose of protecting himself, his narcotics, and the proceeds from the sale of narcotics.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Cooks was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Cooks was sentenced to 102 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach and Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-CR-74. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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