Fairfax Man Convicted at Trial After Evidence Showed He Sold More Than 25 Pounds of Methamphetamine

 Also possessed two firearms he used in his drug trafficking

A man who sold methamphetamine out of his residence in Fairfax, Iowa, and also possessed firearms in connection with his drug trafficking was convicted by a jury on November 4, 2020, after a three day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Jason Richard Corey, age 54, formerly from Fairfax, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance, two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  The verdict was returned following just over an hour of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that Corey sold a quarter pound of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in August of 2019 at Corey’s home in Fairfax.  Shortly after the sale, Corey was in a car that was stopped and found to have more than 70 grams of meth inside.  The meth was hidden in the bottom of a disinfectant wipes container and a bag.  Law enforcement searched Corey’s home and found a half pound of methamphetamine.  Officers also found two guns in the house.  During an interview after the search, Corey admitted dealing more than 25 pounds of methamphetamine during 2019 and that one of his meth sources gave him the two firearms that Corey could use to protect himself.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Corey remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Corey faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of a lifetime of imprisonment, a $10,250,000 fine, and at least 10 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, the Hiawatha Police Department, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.