A Cedar Rapids man has been sentenced to over 12 years in federal prison for drug trafficking. Cleveland Stephens, also known as “Schmitty,” age 63, pleaded guilty on August 27, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
According to court documents, Stephens sold pounds of methamphetamine between August 2022 and June 2024. In October 2022, he was stopped by law enforcement in Davenport, Iowa. Officers searched the vehicle and found cocaine base, cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana. Later, in June 2024, authorities searched his house and car in Cedar Rapids and recovered methamphetamine, marijuana, and nearly $4,500 in cash.
United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Stephens to 151 months in prison. After serving his sentence, Stephens will be on supervised release for five years. Federal sentences do not allow for parole.
The case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative created by Executive Order 14159: Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a collaborative effort among various agencies aimed at dismantling criminal cartels and transnational organizations involved in activities such as drug trafficking and human smuggling within the United States.
HSTF Kansas City leads efforts across Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska with participation from multiple federal agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internal Revenue Service; United States Marshals Service; United States Postal Inspection Service; state investigative agencies from the four states; and the Kansas City Missouri Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Devra T. Hake and Dillan Edwards prosecuted the case with investigative support from HSTF Kansas City as well as the DEA Task Force—comprised of members from the DEA, Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Cedar Rapids Police Department, Marion Police Department, and Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
