Cedar Rapids man sentenced to more than 55 years for robbery spree in 2020

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man who went on robbery spree for 12 days in 2020 was sentenced Thursday to more than 55 years in federal prison.

Cardel Demetrius Redmond, 28, was convicted by a jury in June for armed robbery or attempting to rob seven businesses over the 12 days.

The jury, after deliberating about six hours, found him 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.

According to sentencing documents, Redmond had just been released from custody on state probation Nov. 4, and five days later, on Nov. 9, 2020, he broke into the Cancun restaurant, 365 33rd Ave. SW in Cedar Rapids and stole a valuable truck parked in front of the business. He then used the truck to commit two more burglaries in Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha.

After committing the burglaries, he was driving the stolen truck and crashed head-on with another car, causing serious injuries to the other driver, according to court documents. Redmond then lied to police at the scene by pretending to be a witness and stating he saw the driver of the truck run away.

Three days later, on Nov. 17, 2020, Redmond broke into J.C. Penney’s in Cedar Rapids, causing more than $4,000 in property damage, according to federal prosecutors. His crimes then escalated from burglary to armed robbery.

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 he robbed on Nov. 17, by pointing a firearm at an employee. He was arrested on burglary charges later that night.

“Defendant has no regard for the safety and well-being of other people,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyndra Lundquist said in her written argument against less prison time, as Redmond’s lawyer recommended. “He was willing to repeatedly threaten others with bodily injury or death for a few hundred dollars.”

She also pointed out that Redmond had seven previous felony convictions and frequently violated terms of probation, including committing new offenses. Redmond also has five juvenile adjudications — convictions — and 25 other adult convictions.

U.S. District Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Redmond to 666 months in prison, five years of supervised release following his term and ordered him to pay $2,069 in victim restitution.

Williams noted the “tremendous impact” Redmond had on the community in committing the “highly aggravating” offenses and found he posed a “grave danger to the public.”

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