Heroin Dealer Sent Back to Federal Prison

 Had Over 30 Grams of Opioids Hidden in His Person

A Chicago man who intended to distribute fentanyl and a heroin/fentanyl mixture was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison.

Chanord Hawkins, age 28, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a November 30, 2020 guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. 

Evidence at sentencing showed that on September 1, 2016, Hawkins was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of federal supervised release after he had pled guilty to distribution of heroin and crack cocaine in federal court.  On September 12, 2020, while he was on federal supervised release, Hawkins was a passenger in a car that was stopped by officers with the Cedar Rapids Police Department in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  During the traffic stop, officers searched a fanny pack belonging to Hawkins and recovered a small baggie that contained 0.5 grams of heroin.  Hawkins was arrested and transported to the Linn County Correctional Center.  After he arrived at the Linn County Correctional Center, deputies searched Hawkins’ person and located two bags of marijuana in his underwear.  As a result, officers conducted a strip search and deputies located multiple small plastic baggies tucked inside Hawkins’ buttocks that contained a total of over 9 grams of fentanyl and 25 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture.  Hawkins intended to distribute some or all of the fentanyl and heroin/fentanyl mixture to another person. 

Hawkins was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Hawkins was sentenced to a total of 70 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Hawkins is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. 

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.