Cody Scott Deklotz
CEDAR RAPIDS — A federal judge ruled Wednesday that a Shellsburg man, indicted with 10 others for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and other charges, will remain in jail pending his trial.
Cody Scott Deklotz, 31, formerly of Cedar Rapids, told law enforcement after his arrest in May that he was only a user of heroin and wasn’t selling it, but a drug enforcement agent testified during his detention hearing Wednesday that the quantities he bought were for redistributing, not for his personal use.
Kelly Meggers, special agent with Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said Deklotz was buying more than 1 gram to 3-1/2 grams of heroin, which is more than someone would buy for personal use.
By the time Deklotz was arrested, during this investigation, he had bought about 90 grams of heroin from a co-defendant, Brian Jarrell Dennis, 31.
Brian Dennis
Meggers said Deklotz came to their attention last year when they were investigating another methamphetamine distribution case. One of the defendants, he said, was calling Deklotz to buy heroin.
In a search warrant obtained in March 2020 for Deklotz’s house in Cedar Rapids, officers found meth, marijuana, a coffee grinder, scales, packing materials and plastic bags with corners cut out, which are typically how small quantities of heroin are packaged and sold.
The coffee grinder was likely used for coffee that is used to “cut” heroin — extending the seller’s supply, she said.
Deklotz denied to agents that he was selling heroin. He said he was only a heroin user and he purchased from Dennis. He did say Dennis would come to his house to sell him heroin and then stay there to sell to others.
Meggers said later in the investigation they conducted controlled buys and set up wiretaps on Dennis.
From February through June of this year, before Dennis switched to a new phone number, they heard Deklotz and found text messages that indicated he was buying heroin from Dennis, Meggers said.
Investigators also made seizures of heroin and fentanyl connected to this investigation.
In April, another co-defendant, Ryan Rick Schlitter, was trying to contact Dennis because he wanted to sell heroin for him, Meggers said. Deklotz vouched for Schlitter and Dennis asked Deklotz to deal with Schlitter and Schlitter could sell heroin for Dennis.
In May, Cedar Rapids police stopped Deklotz and another person in a vehicle and officers found Deklotz’s backpack that contained 22 grams of meth, THC wax, plastic bags and a brown powdered substance. Deklotz said it was dirty sand, Meggers said, but tests showed it to be more than 2 grams of heroin and fentanyl.
After Deklotz was arrested last week, he again denied he sold heroin but said he bought it from Dennis and Demico Irvin, also indicted in the conspiracy, Meggers said. Deklotz bought at least 100 times from Irvin.
Deklotz insisted he was only using heroin and explained he sold his house for $60,000 to pay for his use of the drug. He said most of the sale money went for heroin but he still had about $20,000. Meggers said they had no evidence if Deklotz sold his house.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Roberts, during a detention hearing, said there was strong evidence to indicate Deklotz was buying large quantities of drugs for redistribution and also allowing Dennis to sell drugs to others from DeKlotz’s Cedar Rapids home.
Roberts said Deklotz has a lengthy criminal history and a number of failures to appear and of committing new offenses while on probation or pending trial. He concluded Deklotz posed a risk of failing to appear in court and was a danger to the community.
Deklotz and 10 others were indicited last week. They all have been charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of heroin and fentanyl, aiding and abetting or intent to distribute charges.
Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com
Shellsburg man will stay in jail pending drug conspiracy trial - The Gazette
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