Cedar Rapids man sentenced to life in prison for drug trafficking

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man on Friday was sentenced to life in prison on charges he conspired with others to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine.

A federal jury in October found Michael Lee Brunson, 66, guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of distribution of methamphetamine.

The jury also found that $30,540 was used or intended for use in the conspiracy and subject to forfeiture.

Brunson was “a large-scale methamphetamine dealer in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area,” according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.

On June 5, 2022, Brunson was stopped while driving, and officers found more than two-thirds of a pound of meth in his car, according to the news release.

On Jan. 10, 2023, he sold about 2 ounces of meth to a confidential source. On Jan. 21, 2023, he was stopped again while driving and found to have three bags of meth in his coat pocket and two in his vehicle’s trunk, according to the release.

When determining the severity of the sentence, Judge C.J. Williams noted Brunson testified falsely during his trial, was a supervisor of the criminal conspiracy, had a pattern of criminal conduct and possessed firearms, according to the news release.

Brunson is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he can be taken to a federal prison.

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