Three men have been sentenced to federal prison in Cedar Rapids for their roles in distributing opioids that led to the deaths of three Iowans who used the drugs.
Opioid abuse remains at an all-time high and these dangerous drugs wreak havoc on lives and communities, said United States Attorney Pete Deegan. Street drugs – including those sold over the internet – routinely contain powerful opioids. These drugs have never been more deadly and anyone caught distributing them will be held accountable.
Opioids are extremely dangerous and powerful drugs. These drugs are so potent that extremely small doses can cause overdose and even death.
Over the last week, three men were sentenced to federal prison in Cedar Rapids for their roles in distributing opioids that eventually led to the deaths of three Iowans who used the drugs.
The three men sentenced were:
Richard Leroy Parker, 47, from Dubuque, Iowa, received a sentence of life imprisonment following a January 18, 2018, jury verdict finding him guilty of distribution of heroin within 1,000 feet of an elementary school and a playground, resulting in death, and of possession with intent to distribute heroin within 1,000 feet of an elementary school and a playground.
Parker had numerous felony criminal convictions. Amongst his prior convictions are four prior felony convictions related to drugs, including three prior convictions for drug distribution. In April 2017, Parker had recently been released after spending nearly a decade in prison for a burglary conviction.
The evidence at trial showed that Parker obtained several grams of heroin in Chicago in April 2017. On Easter Sunday, Parker brought the heroin to a residence on Rhomberg Avenue in Dubuque. Parker and other individuals at the residence drank alcohol and smoked crack cocaine throughout the day. Prior to midnight, Parker and a woman went into a back bedroom. While inside the room, Parker gave the woman heroin, which she used. Shortly after using the heroin, she stopped breathing. At approximately 12:20 a.m. on April 17, Parker called 911, and emergency responders arrived at the scene. Parker testified that, as emergency responders were attempting to save the woman’s life, he went into another room and hid the remaining heroin in a chair. Investigators later found the rest of the heroin. The attempts to resuscitate the woman were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead shortly after 1:15 a.m.
The other two men sentenced were Jervonie Murphy, 26, from Dubuque, Iowa, who received a sentence of 33 months’ imprisonment following a May 21, 2018, guilty plea to two counts of distributing heroin within 1,000 feet of a public playground or school in Dubuque, and another man who was not named in the source.
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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