Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fentanyl Distribution

A Cedar Rapids Man who distributed over 1,100 fentanyl pills was sentenced on January 24, 2025, to five years in federal prison.

Deon Hicks, Jr., age 31, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 21, 2024, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.

Information at sentencing showed that on four separate occasions between December 2023 and January 2024, law enforcement officers conducted an undercover operation and purchased over 1,100 fentanyl pills from Hicks. 

Hicks was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court C.J. William.  Hicks was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Hicks 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 investigated by the Johnson County Drug Task Force and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.  The Johnson County Drug Task Force consists of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa City Police Department, the Coralville Police Department, the North Liberty Police Department, the University of Iowa 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-46.

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