Cedar Rapids Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to Over a Decade in Federal Prison

A Cedar Rapids man who worked with others to distribute over 9 kilograms of cocaine was sentenced December 20, 2022, to more than 12 years in federal prison. 

Paris Martell Cullar, age 26, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 12, 2022 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.  Information disclosed at sentencing showed that from November 2017 through July 2021, Cullar worked with others to distribute over 9 kilograms of cocaine and several grams of crack cocaine in the Cedar Rapids area.  Cullar obtained his supply of cocaine from individuals in California and Chicago, Illinois.  After Cullar was arrested, he intimidated or attempted to intimidate a witness while at the Linn County Correctional Center. 

Cullar was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Cullar was sentenced to 149 months’ and 28 days’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a 5‑year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Cullar is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and 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-00009.