Thomas Nathaniel May, Heroin Conspiracy, Iowa 2022

Crime Wave Hits Cedar Rapids: Two Men Plead Guilty to Heroin Conspiracy

Cedar Rapids, IA – In a brazen display of organized crime, two men have pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute heroin in Cedar Rapids. Thomas Nathaniel May, 27, of Iowa City, and Demico Demon Irvin, 30, of Chicago, were convicted of one count of conspiring to distribute heroin on June 2, 2022, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

According to evidence presented at a prior hearing, May was identified as one of the top callers to the phone of Brian Dennis, a large-scale heroin distributor in Cedar Rapids. May was purchasing at least 3.5 grams of heroin and upwards of 10.5 grams of heroin per day from Dennis and his associates, totaling well over 100 grams in a six-week period.

In April 2021, May was arrested after meeting with Dennis and found in possession of 7.39 grams of a substance containing heroin, fentanyl, and synthetic opioids acetyl fentanyl, parafluorofentanyl, and metonitazene.

In a plea agreement, Irvin admitted that he conspired to distribute heroin with Dennis and others. Irvin admitted that he obtained heroin from Dennis, which he then sold to various customers for multiple months in 2020.

Irvin was found in possession of 32 baggies of purported heroin packaged for sale in September 2020. The substance was later determined to weigh 14.86 grams and found to contain fentanyl, and not heroin. Irvin admitted to selling between 80 and 100 grams of heroin for Dennis.

May faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $2,000,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment. Irvin faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and a lifetime term of imprisonment following any imprisonment.

Sentencings before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after presentence reports are prepared. May and Irvin remain in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.

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