Hunter
12/08/23
An Iowa City man has been arrested and faces decades in prison after police observed him selling cocaine in the parking lot of the Fareway on Commerce Drive on multiple occasions.
The incidents started back in April and were all transacted outside of the grocery store. On the 19th at around noon, 35-year-old Juan Sandoval of Taft Avenue was allegedly observed possessing and delivering 14 grams of cocaine for sale. On May 3rd at 11am, he reportedly made another sale, this time for 15 grams of coke.
May 10th saw Sandoval allegedly deliver 29 grams of cocaine, again at around 11am. On the 17th of May, he reportedly sold 59 grams of coke in the Fareway parking lot. Then on the afternoon of June 14th, Sandoval reportedly delivered another 59 grams of cocaine.
Police seized 140 grams of cocaine from Sandoval on the afternoon of June 21st that he allegedly was intending to sell. They then obtained a search warrant for Sandoval’s trailer, where they reportedly found a firearm. Sandoval reportedly admitted to knowing the firearm was in his residence, and as a convicted felon is ineligible to possess weapons.
After laboratory tests confirmed that the substances were cocaine on each occasion, a warrant for Sandoval’s arrests was issued on November 9th; he was arrested on Wednesday afternoon. He faces one Class B controlled substance violation, five Class C controlled substance violations, six counts of failure to affix drug stamp, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted on all charges, Sandoval faces a sentence of up to 110 years.