Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A Cedar Rapids man has been sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison following his guilty plea to charges related to an armed robbery during a drug transaction.
Dequan Autrell Jenkins, 27, was sentenced after admitting guilt on February 26, 2025, to interference with commerce by robbery, possession of a firearm by a felon, and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Court documents state that on June 24, 2024, Jenkins and another individual met someone in Cedar Rapids intending to purchase fentanyl. During the meeting, Jenkins used a firearm to rob the seller of both fentanyl and a backpack. Due to previous felony convictions, Jenkins was legally barred from possessing firearms.
United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams handed down the sentence of 141 months’ imprisonment. Jenkins will also be subject to five years of supervised release after serving his prison term. There is no parole available in the federal system.
Jenkins is currently held by the United States Marshal’s Service pending transfer to federal prison.
The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department of Justice strengthened this strategy in May 2021 with goals including building trust within communities, supporting organizations that prevent violence, focusing enforcement efforts strategically, and measuring outcomes (https://www.justice.gov/psn).
Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force, which includes members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cedar Rapids Police Department, and Marion Police Department.
"Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results," according to information provided about PSN.
