Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced for Drug and Firearms

A man who possessed a large quantity of methamphetamine and had numerous firearms was sentenced on July 26, 2023, to more than 15 years in federal prison.

Johnny Mack Hill, Jr., age 32, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 4, 2023 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams of more of methamphetamine, one count of possession of firearms during and in relation to his drug offense, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

At the guilty plea, Hill, Jr. admitted that on October 14, 2020, he was in possession of at least 500 grams of methamphetamine he intended to sell to others, and multiple firearms that he possessed in connection with his drug offense.  Hill, Jr. was previously convicted of attempted murder for a shooting on October 2, 2020, in a Cedar Rapids bar.

Hill, Jr. was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Hill, Jr. was sentenced to 185 months’ imprisonment to be served consecutive to his sentence for attempted murder imposed in the Iowa District Court for Linn County.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Hill, Jr. is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 

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

The case file number is 21-CR-00021.

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