CEDAR RAPIDS – A Georgia man who distributed approximately 40 kilograms of methamphetamine and a kilogram of heroin in Iowa was sentenced February 11, 2025, to more than 19 years in federal prison.
Manuel Tomas Gaspar, age 25, from Atlanta, Georgia, received the prison term after an August 30, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Information at the sentencing hearing showed that, between December 1, 2023, and February 14, 2024, Gaspar traveled between Georgia and Iowa transporting significant quantities of methamphetamine and heroin. In January 2024, Gaspar delivered 20 kilograms of methamphetamine and one kilogram of heroin to an individual in Cedar Rapids. On February 14, 2024, Gaspar was arrested after delivering an additional 20 kilograms of methamphetamine to the same individual in Cedar Rapids. During that time‑period, Gaspar carried a gun to protect large amounts of drug proceeds and he conducted international wire transfers to the Mexico‑based source of supply.
Gaspar was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Gaspar was sentenced to 236 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.
Gaspar 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 Michael Hudson and Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.