3 plead guilty in large Cedar Rapids heroin distribution ring

CEDAR RAPIDS — Three men indicted as part of a heroin distributing ring, which included eight others, pleaded guilty this week in federal court.

Jerry D. Banghart, 20, of Cedar Rapids, Andrew J. Lehnman, 29, of Marion, and Cody S. Deklotz, 31, of Shellsburg, were each convicted in separate plea hearings in U.S. District Court of conspiracy to distribute heroin.

During their plea hearings, all three admitted they joined others to distribute heroin in Cedar Rapids. The conspiracy started in 2017 and continued through June 2021.

According to evidence at a previous hearing, Deklotz allowed a heroin dealer from Chicago, Brian Dennis, to sell heroin out of Deklotz’s Cedar Rapids residence in early 2020. The DEA in Cedar Rapids initiated a wiretap investigation of Dennis early last year. Investigators learned through the calls that Deklotz was purchasing heroin and also setting up transactions between the suppliers and users.

Court records stated Deklotz was stopped by officers in May 2021 while in possession of more than two grams of a mixture containing heroin, fentanyl and a powerful synthetic opioid — metonitazene — as well as about 22 grams of methamphetamine.

In a plea agreement, Banghart admitted he bought heroin from Dennis and others, some of which he redistributed. In March 2021, Banghart purchased about 10.5 grams from Dennis of a substance that contained heroin, fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl, and metonitazene, which he distributed to another co-conspirator, Taylor Leyden.

Banghart also admitted to tipping off Dennis when another co-conspirator was arrested in an effort to warn Dennis that the other person may have cooperated with police.

Two other individuals, Ryan Rick Schlitter and Melinda Salvatora Werning, previously pleaded guilty to the heroin conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing.

Six others, including Dennis, are awaiting trial.

All three defendants remain in jail pending sentencing. Deklotz faces a mandatory minimum of five years and possibly up to 40 years in federal prison, plus a $2 million fine and lifetime supervised release following prison.

Lehman and Banghart both face up to 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and lifetime supervised release.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Chatham and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Task Force consisting of the DEA; Linn County Sheriff's Office; Cedar Rapids and Marion Police Department; and Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

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