COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – United States District Court Senior Judge James E. Gritzner. Wednesday, sentenced 32-year old Ivan Antonio Cervantes to 18 months in prison,   for possession of contraband by a federal prisoner. Cervantes was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release to follow his prison term. The sentence is to be served consecutively to a prior 70 month sentence for a felony drug offense prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Cervantes and others distributed a synthetic cannabinoid while incarcerated at the Pottawattamie County Jail. On May 17, 2017, jail staff seized a substance from Cervantes’ cell with the use of a drug-detecting dog. Lab reports confirmed the substance found hidden in Cervantes’ cell tested positive for a synthetic cannabinoid. Further investigation revealed another individual brought the substance to the jail, then distributed the substance to other inmates.

The case was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.