Source: Office of United States Attorneys
A Cedar Rapids man who distributed more than 900 fentanyl pills was sentenced January 15, 2025, to more than five years in federal prison.
Brogan Eugene McCartney, age 22, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 29, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, one count of distribution of a controlled substance, and three counts of use of a communication facility to commit a felony drug offense.
Information disclosed at sentencing showed that, between January 2023 and the beginning of March 2023, McCartney obtained at least 900 pills containing fentanyl from a source of supply. McCartney distributed some or all those pills to other individuals. On March 4, 2023, emergency personnel responded to McCartney’s residence in Cedar Rapids, where they found a female deceased in McCartney’s bed from a fentanyl‑related overdose. McCartney continued to distribute fentanyl pills.
On August 7, 2023, law enforcement officers used an undercover officer to purchase 18 fentanyl pills from McCartney. During the August 7 purchase, McCartney told the undercover officer that he had a firearm on him, and McCartney then lifted up his shirt and flashed the handle of what appeared to be a firearm. Officers later learned that it was actually a BB gun. On August 23, 2023, the undercover officer ordered more fentanyl pills from McCartney. When the officer arrived at McCartney’s residence, McCartney and McCartney’s friend entered the officer’s vehicle, where McCartney’s friend distributed 16 fentanyl pills to the officer. On September 6, 2023, McCartney posted a video on social media of himself with a firearm containing an extended magazine. That same day, the undercover officer ordered more fentanyl pills from McCartney. When the officer arrived at McCartney’s residence, McCartney and McCartney’s friend entered the officer’s vehicle. During the purchase, McCartney offered to purchase a firearm for the officer if the officer paid McCartney $100. McCartney’s friend eventually distributed 30 fentanyl pills to the officer.
McCartney was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. McCartney was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a three‑year term of supervised release after the prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
McCartney is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Johnson County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa City Police Department, the Coralville Police Department, the North Liberty Police Department, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24‑CR‑00057‑CJW.
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