Hawkeye Reporter

A federal jury in Cedar Rapids has convicted Cody Kinzie Dittmar, a 34-year-old from Dubuque, Iowa, for distributing and conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl, leading to two overdose deaths. The verdict was reached on June 25, 2025, after a three-day trial.

Dittmar had previously been sentenced to 64 months in federal prison for a 2017 conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was released under federal supervision in June 2023. Evidence presented during the trial showed that Dittmar began selling heroin and fentanyl with his partner Alysha (Gould) Dittmar immediately after his release.

On July 1, 2023, the couple sold a mixture containing heroin, fentanyl, and xylazine to a customer in Marion, Iowa. The customer and his wife used the drugs shortly afterward and both died from overdoses. Despite these deaths, the Dittmars continued their drug sales in the Cedar Rapids area until July 2024. Alysha Dittmar had already pled guilty to charges related to these events.

Cody Dittmar is awaiting sentencing by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams following the preparation of a presentence report. He remains in custody pending this process. For each count of distribution resulting in death, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years imprisonment with potential penalties including life imprisonment, fines up to $2 million, and lifetime supervised release.

The investigation into this case involved several law enforcement agencies including the Marion Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force which includes contributions from multiple local departments such as Linn County Sheriff's Office and Cedar Rapids Police Department. The prosecution is led by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Nagin and Dan Chatham.