Cedar Rapids Man Convicted of Distributing Heroin and Fentanyl that Caused Near-Death Overdose

A man who distributed heroin laced with fentanyl that caused a near-fatal overdose was convicted by a jury on July 19, 2017, after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Cordero Robert Seals, age 29, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of distribution of heroin and fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. The verdict was returned this afternoon following about 3 hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that Seals sold heroin laced with fentanyl to a man in November 2016. Seals and the man then drove to a convenience store on First Avenue SE in Cedar Rapids, where the man entered the store’s bathroom and injected the heroin/fentanyl mix. Surveillance video from the store showed that about two minutes after the man left the bathroom, he lost consciousness and collapsed at the gas pump. The video showed Seals re-entering the convenience store after the man overdosed, and then looking out to the pumps where the man had collapsed. Seals then left the area without returning to the man’s vehicle. Trial evidence also showed that in April 2017, Seals was arrested for an outstanding warrant by Cedar Rapids Police. During a search, officers found six baggies of heroin laced with fentanyl, as well as nearly $3,800 in cash, in his pockets.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Seals remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Seals faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, $200 in special assessments, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; the Iowa City Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is CR17-00028-LRR.

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