Cedar Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin and Fentanyl Conspiracy Resulting in Four Injuries, Two Deaths in 2015

A man who conspired to distribute heroin and fentanyl that led to several overdoses and deaths pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

DeShaun Anderson, age 43, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and death.

At the plea hearing, Anderson admitted he conspired with others to distribute heroin and another powerful opiate, fentanyl, in Cedar Rapids.  Anderson admitted that, on four occasions, users suffered serious bodily injury as a result of using the substances either he or his co-conspirators distributed.  He also admitted that two individuals died as a result of using substances distributed by the co-conspirators.  All of the deaths and overdose injuries admitted by Anderson occurred between late February and mid-April of this year.  Court documents reflect that, between January and April 2015, at least four other individuals lost consciousness, but did not suffer serious injuries, after using drugs distributed by Anderson or his co-conspirators.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Anderson remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Anderson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, $100 in special assessments, and at least 6 years, and up to a lifetime, of supervised release following any imprisonment.

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

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 15-CR-00046-LRR.

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