Man accused in two heroin deaths to remain in jail pending federal trial

CEDAR RAPIDS — A 43-year-old Cedar Rapids man accused of distributing heroin that caused two overdose deaths will remain in jail pending trial, a federal magistrate ruled Wednesday.

DeShaun Anderson was charged this week with possession with intent to distribute heroin in U.S. District Court. He is accused of selling heroin to three people this month who overdosed, two of whom died.

U.S. Chief Magistrate Jon Scoles said there was strong evidence that Anderson was involved in the heroin deaths. Anderson also has several violations of probation and pretrial release during his lengthy criminal history which makes him a flight risk.

DEA Special Agent Greg Fox testified that Cedar Rapids police received information about Anderson, also called 'Shady,' selling heroin while conducting an investigation of several heroin overdoses and deaths on April 13.

Fox said investigators talked with a victim of a heroin overdose at the Linn County Jail and that victim identified Anderson as selling them heroin out of his minivan. The victim described the vehicle and the letters on the license plate. Later, they also identified Anderson from a photo and told police Anderson had been seen at a house near the intersection of A Avenue and 13th Street NW.

Later that day, police responded to two heroin overdoses at the Westdale Court Apartments. One of those victims, after being taken to the hospital, told police the heroin was purchased from Shady, Fox said. The second victim couldn't be interviewed due to her medical condition and she died later on April 15.

Fox said surveillance was set up near the 13th Street NW location and a vehicle identified as Anderson's pulled in the driveway of a house on the street. A woman came out of the house and got into the front seat of the van. She was there three to four minutes and when she got out of the van, she was holding her left elbow in a bent position with her hand up near her head. Fox said this was consistent with someone who had intravenously taken heroin.

Officers stopped the van and identified the driver as Anderson, who said he was living out of the van and didn't have a job.

During a pat down, one of the officers found plastic bags of heroin in Anderson's sock. Anderson then grabbed several bags and stuffed them in his mouth. He spit some bags out, but said he swallowed three. He was later treated at the hospital.

Officers also found more bags in the van, along with $3,600 in cash, Fox said. Anderson then claimed the heroin was for his personal use. He denied selling it.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Chatham in arguing to keep Anderson in custody said a search was also conducted at the North Liberty house Anderson was living in and officers found more heroin, cocaine and digital scales. Two EBT cards were also found at the residence belonging to victims who overdosed. Chatham said it's common practice for a user to trade their EBT card for drugs.