A man who possessed methamphetamine he intended to distribute was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.
Richard Dean Hamilton, Jr., age 42, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an Oct. 13, 2022 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, on October 8, 2021, a bail bondsman and his friend were attempting to locate Hamilton, Jr., to take him into custody for an active warrant. The bail bondsman and his friend utilized a woman to set up a deal to purchase methamphetamine from Hamilton, Jr., and a meeting was arranged for the woman and Hamilton, Jr., to conduct the drug deal at a Dairy Queen in Cedar Rapids. During the meeting between the woman and Hamilton, Jr., the bail bondsman and his friend pulled up in their vehicle and approached Hamilton, Jr. The bail bondsman told Hamilton, Jr., that he had a warrant, but Hamilton, Jr., disagreed. When the bail bondsman attempted to take Hamilton, Jr., into custody by placing a handcuff around one of his wrists, Hamilton, Jr., started to resist, and there was a struggle. During the struggle, the friend of the bail bondsman struck Hamilton, Jr., with an asp baton. At one point, Hamilton, Jr., grabbed the bail bondsman’s handgun and hit the magazine release causing the magazine to drop from the handgun. Additionally, Hamilton, Jr., grabbed a knife and swung it at the bail bondsman. The bail bondsman yelled that Hamilton, Jr., had a knife, and the bail bondsman’s friend fired one shot at Hamilton, Jr., striking him in the leg. Hamilton, Jr., put his vehicle in reverse, dragging the bail bondsman backwards. Hamilton, Jr., then put the vehicle in drive, driving towards the friend of the bail bondsman and dragging the bail bondsman forwards through the parking lot. The friend fired multiple shots at Hamilton, Jr., striking him multiple times, and the bail bondsman eventually let go of the handcuffs. Hamilton, Jr., drove away from the scene and drove to a residence belonging to someone he knew. Officers located Hamilton, Jr., at that residence, and he was taken to the hospital for his injuries. In the bathroom of the house where Hamilton, Jr., was treating his wounds, officers located a pocketknife and a set of handcuffs. In Hamilton, Jr.’s, car, officers located an empty baggie and six bags containing a total of 49.32 grams of actual methamphetamine.
Hamilton, Jr., was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Hamilton, Jr., was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Hamilton, Jr., 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 Adam J. Vander Stoep and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-63.
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys