Cedar Rapids woman faces 10 years for conspiracy to distribute meth

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids woman who distributed methamphetamine was convicted Wednesday in federal court.

Rose Lee Beranek, 43, pleaded Wednesday in U.S. District Court to conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of meth. In a plea agreement, Beranek admitted she obtained nearly two pounds of meth from Arizona in February 2024.

When she was driving back to Cedar Rapids with the drugs, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop in Oklahoma and during a search of her vehicle found meth in vacuum-sealed bags.

U.S. District Chief Judge C.J. Williams will sentence Beranek after a presentence report is prepared. She faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, but that could extend to life in prison. She also faces a possible fine and lifetime supervised release following any prison term.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Devra Hake and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Cedar Rapids Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and Oklahoma District One Narcotics Task Force.

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