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(Cedar Rapids, IA) -- A man who tried to take five pounds of ice meth on a flight to Iowa has been sentenced in Cedar Rapids to 12-years in prison. Twenty-two-year-old Kiyonte Sowell of Los Angeles tried to bring ice meth in his carry on bag last year. Airport security X-rayed the bag and found the drugs. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Investigators say he was one of 11-people involved in the drug operation, indicted on charges. The others have already pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
The case was related to an earlier investigation, where the Cedar Rapids Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) learned that 60-conducted a wiretap investigation into a drug organization being primarily run by David Belton (a/k/a “Blood”). In February 2022, intercepted communications indicated that a shipment of 60 pounds of ice methamphetamine was going to be coming to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, from California. Investigators tracked a courier driving a rental truck from Los Angeles to Nebraska, where the truck was stopped. During a search of the cargo area of the truck, officers found a plastic tote containing 60 pounds of ice methamphetamine.
Investigators say on February 27th, 2022 they learned Belton was making arrangements to send Sowell on a flight to Iowa with a large carry on bag. Later testing determined the substance in Sowell’s bag was approximately 2,208 grams of 99% pure methamphetamine.
Sowell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Sowell was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case 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 DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids consists 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. Also assisting in the investigation were the Transportation Security Administration and Los Angeles International Airport Police, and DEA LAX Group 3 in Los Angeles. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.