CEDAR RAPIDS – An Iowa man who conspired with others to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine was sentenced to life in federal prison for his crimes.
Michael Lee Brunson, age 66, who lived in Cedar Rapids, was convicted by a jury on October 13, 2023. He was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of distribution of methamphetamine. The jury also found that $30,540 in United Sates Currency was subject to forfeiture because the property was used or intended to be used in relationship to Brunson’s conspiracy.
The evidence at trial showed that Brunson, who also went by the name “Jaxon,” was a large-scale methamphetamine dealer in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, area. Between April 2022 and September 2022, Brunson conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Cedar Rapids and surrounding areas. On June 5, 2022, Brunson was traffic stopped with over 2/3 lb. of methamphetamine in his car. On January 10, 2023, Brunson sold approximately two ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential source during a controlled buy. On January 21, 2023, Brunson was traffics stopped for a break lights violation. He had 3 bags of methamphetamine in his coat pocket, one bag weighing almost ½ lb., and had two additional bags of methamphetamine in his trunk, each bag weighing just under 1 lb.
At Brunson’s sentencing hearing, the Court found that he obstructed justice during his trial by falsely testifying, was a manager or supervisor of his criminal conspiracy, committed the offense as part of a pattern of criminal conduct engaged in as a livelihood, and that he possessed firearms. The Judge noted that Brunson has not been deterred in the past, and his conduct has been a “plague on society.”
Brunson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Brunson was sentenced to life imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Brunson 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 Nicole L. Nagin and Assistant United States Attorney John H. Lammers and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Belle Plaine Police Department.