Cedar Rapids Man Who Sold Heroin that Caused Two Overdoses Sentenced to Federal Prison

A man who sold heroin to two individuals who nearly died was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison.

Travon Patterson, age 28, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 18, 2019 guilty plea to distribution of heroin within 1,000 feet of a protected location after a prior felony drug conviction.

At the guilty plea, Patterson admitted that on December 27, 2016, he distributed heroin to another individual near an elementary school in Marion, Iowa.  Court documents reflect that Patterson also admitted that on December 16, 2016, he sold heroin to two of his customers, a male and a female.  The female used some of the heroin Patterson sold them and lost consciousness inside a gas station bathroom.  Gas station employees discovered her and called the police.  First responders found her unresponsive, with shallow, irregular breathing.  The first responders administered Narcan, the opioid reversal drug, to the female and she regained consciousness. 

Court documents further reflect that, on December 23, 2016, Patterson distributed heroin to the male customer from the December 16 overdose incident.  The distribution occurred at Patterson’s mother’s residence, and the male used the heroin there.  The male lost consciousness shortly thereafter, and Patterson and his mother called 911.  First responders arrived and found the male unconscious with shallow breathing and an abnormally low respiratory rate.  The first responders administered Narcan, and he regained consciousness.

Patterson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Patterson was sentenced to 77 months’ and 10 days’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was investigated by 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; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Lightfoot and Dan Chatham. 

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

The case file number is 19-CR-00003-CJW-MAR.

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