Cedar Rapids Methamphetmine Dealer Sentenced to Twenty-Seven Years in Federal Prison
A man who sold large quantities of crystal methamphetamine out of his garage for the past four years was sentenced on September 27, 2012, to twenty-seven years in federal prison.
Kurt Alexander, 57, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 24, 2012, jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and three separate counts of distributing methamphetamine. The jury found that each of the crimes took place within 1000 feet of a playground.
Evidence at trial showed Alexander sold methamphetamine to several individuals from 2008 until his arrest in February 2012. A confidential informant purchased methamphetamine from one of Alexander's co-conspirators on three different occasions. On each occasion, while the informant waited at the co-conspirator's residence, the co-conspirator was observed by surveillance driving to Alexander's residence, where he received the methamphetamine from Alexander inside a garage. The co-conspirator then drove back to his residence to complete the sale to the informant. Several witnesses at trial testified that they had purchased methamphetamine from Alexander. During one transaction, Alexander traded methamphetamine for numerous firearms.
Alexander was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Alexander was sentenced to 324 months' imprisonment. A special assessment of $400 was imposed. Alexander was ordered to pay a personal money judgment in the amount of $50,000, with credit for $2,991 seized from him at the time of his arrest. He must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Alexander 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 Justin Lightfoot and 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; the Iowa City Police Department; the Clinton Police Department; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the ATF; the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services; and the Iowa National Guard.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 12-4.
###