Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A Cedar Rapids man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for drug trafficking offenses. Cleveland Stephens, also known as “Schmitty,” age 63, pleaded guilty on August 27, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Court records indicate that between August 2022 and June 2024, Stephens sold large quantities of methamphetamine to several individuals. In October 2022, he was stopped by law enforcement in Davenport, Iowa. Officers searched the vehicle and found cocaine base, cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana. Later, in June 2024, officers searched his home and car in Cedar Rapids and discovered methamphetamine, marijuana, and nearly $4,500 in cash.
Stephens received his sentence from United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams in Cedar Rapids. He was ordered to serve 151 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Federal sentences do not allow for parole.
The case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159: Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a government partnership aimed at dismantling criminal cartels and organizations operating both domestically and internationally. The task force focuses on crimes such as human smuggling and trafficking rings and prioritizes cases involving children or violent offenders.
HSTF Kansas City oversees operations in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska. It includes personnel from agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internal Revenue Service; United States Marshals Service; United States Postal Inspection Service; state investigative agencies for Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska; and the Kansas City Missouri Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Devra T. Hake and Dillan Edwards prosecuted this case with support from HSTF Kansas City. The investigation included assistance from the DEA Task Force—which comprises the DEA itself along with the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Cedar Rapids Police Department, Marion Police Department, and Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
“There is no parole in the federal system.”
