Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Meth Distribution and Money Laundering

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Albert McReynolds, a 35-year-old from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison on May 30. This sentence follows a jury verdict on November 2, 2023, that found him guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and engaging in a monetary transaction involving property derived from unlawful activity.

The trial revealed that McReynolds was actively involved in methamphetamine distribution in Cedar Rapids from September 2020 to November 2021. He collaborated with Calvin Williams and others to transport methamphetamine from California. After a meeting in California, the supplier sent packages of methamphetamine to various addresses in Cedar Rapids to avoid detection. Authorities intercepted and searched three of these packages, discovering multiple pounds of methamphetamine. 46 packages with a combined weight of over 700 pounds were identified as part of this operation.

From October 2020 to November 2021, McReynolds also engaged in money laundering. He vacuum-sealed cash from methamphetamine sales and, with Williams, sent these packages to addresses linked to the California supplier, using fake names and return addresses to evade law enforcement. On July 28, 2021, investigators intercepted one of these packages, finding $56,470 in cash.

McReynolds' elaborate scheme and his efforts to obscure his involvement through fake addresses and names were central to his conviction. The substantial evidence presented at trial demonstrated his significant role in the drug trafficking and money laundering operations.

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