A Cedar Rapids man who intended to distribute methamphetamine and possessed a firearm while doing so was sentenced today to more 15 years in federal prison.
Thomas Charles Mart, age 38, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 27, 2021 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In a plea agreement, Mart admitted that, on September 24, 2020, he possessed with the intent to distribute over 350 grams of methamphetamine and possessed a revolver in furtherance of his drug trafficking. Mart also admitted that, on October 11, 2020, he fled from officers on his motorcycle and possessed with the intent to distribute over 16 grams of methamphetamine. Mart further admitted that, on April 29, 2021, he possessed with the intent to distribute over 100 grams of methamphetamine.
Mart was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Mart was sentenced to 180 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. Mart 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 Dillan Edwards 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; 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 21-CR-00029.
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