Marion Man Who Trafficked Fentanyl and Cocaine Sentenced to Years in Prison

A man who distributed fentanyl and cocaine was sentenced May 22, 2025, to more than seven years in federal prison.

Kendrick Ankum, age 52, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 27, 2025, guilty plea to Possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Evidence at the guilty plea and sentencing hearing showed that on four occasions between March 28, 2024, and April 25, 2024, Ankum distributed fentanyl and cocaine to a confidential source.  On May 16, 2024, investigators searched Ankum’s properties.  At his Marion residence, officers located four firearms, 2,518 pills containing fentanyl, and over 750 grams of cocaine.

Ankum was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Ankum was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson and 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.

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

The case file number is 24-CR-86.

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