Cedar Rapids, IA – In a shocking turn of events, Joshua Ryan Gorrell, a 37-year-old resident of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute it within 1,000 feet of a protected location and possessing a firearm as an unlawful drug user.
According to court documents, on July 22, 2022, Gorrell made a 911 call regarding an overdose at his home, which led to the discovery of a deceased victim. First responders found over $123,038 in cash and over two pounds of pure methamphetamine, along with other illicit substances, inside Gorrell’s home.
On August 22, 2022, law enforcement officers searched Gorrell’s home again and found a firearm, $15,253 in cash, and additional amounts of methamphetamine and marijuana. Gorrell’s urine tested positive for methamphetamine and fentanyl later that day.
Gorrell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment for the methamphetamine charge, along with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a fine of up to $20,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 10 years and up to life.
For possessing a firearm as a drug user, Gorrell faces a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a fine of up to $250,000, a mandatory special assessment of $100, and a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years.
Sentencing for Gorrell will be set after a presentence report is prepared. He remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Devra Hake and Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham. It was investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program of the United States Department of Justice.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence in communities.
Related Federal Cases
- Tanner Jo Halverson-Weese, Meth Trafficking & Gun Charges, Iowa 2021 · Texas
- Christopher Frerichs, Meth and Gun Convictions, Iowa 2020 · New York
- Jordan Charles Johnson, Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crime, Iowa 2021 · Iowa
- Terrance Foy, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Iowa 2021 · Texas
- Trever Carl Christopherson, Gun Possession by a Drug User, Iowa 2021 · Iowa
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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