Serial Armed Robber Sentenced to More than Fifty-Five Years in Federal Prison

A seven-time convicted felon who robbed or attempted to rob employees of Cedar Rapids businesses at gunpoint seven times in a twelve-day period in November 2020 was sentenced today to more than fifty-five years in prison.

Cardel Demetrius Redmond, age 28, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 6, 2023 jury verdict finding him guilty of six counts of interference with commerce by robbery, six counts of using and possessing a firearm during and in furtherance of those robberies, one count of attempt to interfere with commerce by robbery, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. 

The evidence at trial showed that on November 17, 2020, Redmond robbed the Subway restaurant on Gateway Place SW in Cedar Rapids by displaying a firearm to the employees and demanding the cash from the register.  On November 19, 2020, Redmond robbed a cashier at gunpoint in the Wine and Spirits area of the Hy-Vee grocery store on Oakland Road NE in Cedar Rapids.  On November 25, 2020, Redmond robbed the Perkins Restaurant & Bakery on Southgate Court SW in Cedar Rapids by pointing a firearm at one of the employees of the business.  On the night of November 27, 2020, Redmond used a firearm to rob an employee at the Hy-Vee grocery store on Mount Vernon Road SE in Cedar Rapids.  Minutes later, Redmond robbed two employees at gunpoint at the Little Caesar’s Pizza on Mount Vernon Road SE.  Less than twenty-four hours later, on November 28, 2020, Redmond attempted to rob two employees at the Hy-Vee Drugstore on 6th Street SW by brandishing a firearm.  One of the employees told him there was a police officer in an unmarked car in the parking lot, and Redmond fled.  The following night, November 29, 2020, Redmond robbed the same Subway restaurant on Gateway Place SW by pointing a firearm at an employee.

Additional information from sentencing showed that Redmond was released on probation on November 4, 2020.  He committed three burglaries on November 9, 2020.  The first burglary was at restaurant.  He stole a valuable truck parked in front of the restaurant belonging to the restaurant owner.  He used the truck as transportation to commit two additional burglaries that morning at cellular telephone stores.  After committing the three burglaries, Redmond was driving the stolen truck, when he crossed the center line and collided head-on with another car, causing serious injuries to the other driver.  Redmond stayed at the scene of the accident and provided false information to a police officer.  He committed another burglary at a retail store on November 12, 2020, that resulted in more than $4,000 in property damage.    

Redmond was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Redmond was sentenced to 666 months’ imprisonment.  In imposing the sentence, Judge Williams noted the tremendous impact Redmond had had on the community in committing highly aggravating offenses and found that Redmond posed a grave danger to the public.  Redmond was ordered to make $2,068.54 in restitution to the victims of the robberies.  He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kyndra Lundquist and Tony Morfitt and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 22-CR-0085.

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