Cedar Rapids man convicted in federal court for 7 armed robberies in 12 days

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man with seven felony convictions was found guilty Monday by a federal jury for armed robbery or attempting to rob seven businesses in a 12-day crime spree in 2020.

A jury found Cardel Demetrius Redmond, 28, guilty of six counts each of interference with commerce by robbery and using and possessing a firearm during and in furtherance of those robberies, and one count each of attempt to interfere with commerce by robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon.

The jury deliberated about six hours, following a four-day trial in U.S. District Court.

Evidence at trial showed Redmond robbed a Subway restaurant on Nov. 17, 2020, by displaying a firearm to the employees and demanding the cash from the register. On Nov. 19, Redmond robbed a cashier at gunpoint in the Wine and Spirits area of a Hy-Vee grocery store on Oakland Road NE.

Redmond also robbed a Perkins Restaurant & Bakery on Nov. 25, by pointing a firearm at one of the employees. Two days later, on Nov. 27, he used a firearm to rob an employee at a Hy-Vee store on Mount Vernon Road SE.

Minutes later, Redmond robbed two employees at gunpoint at the Little Caesars Pizza on Mount Vernon Road SE.

On Nov. 28, less than 24 hours later, Redmond attempted to rob two employees at the Hy-Vee Drugstore on Sixth Street SW by brandishing a firearm. But one of the employees told him there was a police officer in an unmarked car in the parking lot, and Redmond fled.

The next night, Nov. 29, Redmond robbed the same Subway restaurant as he hit on Nov. 17, by pointing a firearm at an employee. He was arrested on burglary charges later that night.

Redmond remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing. He faces a mandatory minimum of 42 years in federal prison and possibly a maximum of life. He also will be ordered to serve five years or more of supervised released following any prison term.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyndra Lundquist and Tony Morfitt and was investigated by Cedar Rapids police and assisted by the FBI.

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