Cedar Rapids man pleads to hauling over 100 pounds of meth from California to Iowa

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man who transported over 100 pounds of meth in loads of 30 to 60 pounds at a time from California to Iowa was convicted Tuesday of distributing drugs and faces a minimum of 10 years in federal prison.

Albert Henry Bailey, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. During the plea hearing, he admitted to conspiring with others to distribute meth in Iowa.

During a wiretap investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Cedar Rapids in late 2021 and early 2022, agents discovered Bailey was a driver for a group buying ice meth in California and selling it in Eastern Iowa, according to evidence at a previous hearing. Bailey, during the trips, brought 30 to 60 pounds of meth from California to Iowa and then others sold it.

In February, intercepted communications over the wiretap indicated Bailey would be transporting meth from one of these trips. Investigators tracked Bailey’s vehicle and stopped it in York County, Neb. During a search of the vehicle, they seized about 60 pounds of ice meth.

U.S. District Judge C.J. Williams will sentence Bailey after a presentencing report is completed. Bailey faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and possibly up to life, a $10 million fine and supervised release for life following any prison term.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Chatham and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program of the U.S. Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids and the FBI. The DEA task force includes the Linn County Sheriff's Office; Cedar Rapids and Marion police departments; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

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