Edward Smart, 56, of Waterloo, Iowa, is headed to federal prison for more than five years after admitting to his role in a crack cocaine distribution ring that flooded parts of Black Hawk County. Sentenced on May 17, 2019, Smart received 68 months behind bars for conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine—a charge that carried extra weight due to his criminal past.
Smart pleaded guilty on July 2, 2018, in the Northern District of Iowa, acknowledging his participation in a drug network that operated under the radar until federal investigators moved in. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Inman and built through a multi-agency dragnet targeting organized drug activity in the region.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand handed down the sentence in Cedar Rapids, also ordering Smart to serve four years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. With no parole in the federal system, Smart will serve nearly every day of his sentence under lock and key.
Law enforcement sources confirm Smart had previously been convicted of a felony drug offense, a fact that likely contributed to the severity of the sentence. Prior convictions in federal drug cases can trigger mandatory minimums and eliminate leniency—rules that came down hard on Smart.
The investigation was conducted under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a federal initiative targeting high-level drug traffickers. Agencies involved included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force—made up of local officers from Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Waverly, and surrounding jurisdictions.
Smart remains in U.S. Marshals custody, awaiting transport to a designated federal prison. Court records, including case file 18-CR-2023, are accessible through the Northern District of Iowa’s electronic filing system. Follow updates from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking