Repeat drug offender who hid fentanyl in his buttocks sentenced to 5 years

CEDAR RAPIDS — A repeat drug offender, who was found with heroin in his fanny pack and then attempted to conceal baggies of a fentanyl mixture in his buttocks when booked in jail, was sentenced Wednesday to five years in federal prison.

Chanord Hawkins, 28, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in November.

Hawkins was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 30 months and three years of supervised release in 2016 for distribution of heroin and crack cocaine, according to evidence at sentencing. While on supervised release Sept. 12, Hawkins was a passenger in a car that was stopped by Cedar Rapids police. Officers searched a fanny pack belonging to Hawkins and found a small bag with 0.5 grams of heroin.

Hawkins was arrested and taken to the Linn County Jail. During a search of Hawkins, sheriff deputies found two bags of marijuana in his underwear.

A strip search was then conducted and deputies found multiple small plastic bags “tucked inside” Hawkins’ buttocks that contained over 9 grams of fentanyl and 25 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mix, according to evidence.

Hawkins intended to distribute some or all of the drugs to another person, prosecutors said.

U.S. District Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Hawkins to 70 months and ordered him to serve six years of supervised release following his prison term. Hawkins remains in custody with the U.S. Marshals Service until he can be taken to a designated federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force consisting of the DEA, the Linn County Sheriff's Office, the Cedar Rapids and Marion police departments, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com