Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A federal jury has convicted Cody Kinzie Dittmar, 34, for distributing and conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl, which resulted in two overdose deaths in Marion, Iowa. The verdict was delivered on June 25, 2025, after a three-day trial in Cedar Rapids.
Dittmar, originally from Dubuque but residing in Cedar Rapids at the time of the offenses, was found guilty following about two hours of jury deliberation. Previously sentenced to 64 months for a firearm possession conviction in 2017, Dittmar began selling drugs with his partner Alysha (Gould) Dittmar upon his release to federal supervised release in June 2023.
On July 1, 2023, the couple sold a lethal mixture of heroin, fentanyl, and xylazine to a customer and his wife in Marion. Both individuals died shortly after using the substances. Despite these fatalities, the Dittmars continued their drug sales until July 2024. Alysha Dittmar had already pled guilty to her role in the distribution leading to these deaths.
Sentencing for Cody Dittmar will be scheduled following the preparation of a presentence report by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Currently held by the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years per count and could receive up to life imprisonment along with fines reaching $2 million and lifetime supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the Marion Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force including various local law enforcement agencies. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Nagin and Dan Chatham are prosecuting the case.
