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Press Release

Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Gun Charges

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Iowa

A man who distributed methamphetamine, possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, and possessed a firearm as a prohibited person, was sentenced today to more than 19 years in federal prison.

Dennis Wayne Hager, age 65, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 1, 2023 guilty plea to two counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm as a felon and drug user.

Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that on May 25, 2021, Hager distributed 110 grams of methamphetamine to another person.  On June 1, 2021, Hager distributed 222 grams of methamphetamine to another person.  That day, law enforcement officers searched his home and found a firearm that Hager was prohibited from possessing because he was a felon and methamphetamine user.  Hager had four felony convictions related to drugs.  Finally, on September 1, 2021, Hager possessed over 100 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.

Hager was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Hager was sentenced to 235 months’ imprisonment and 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.

Hager 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 Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department Narcotics Unit and the Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Narcotics Enforcement. 

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

The case file number is 23-CR-40.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Updated February 22, 2024

Topics
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Drug Trafficking
Firearms Offenses