Dexter Howard Sentenced for Illegal Gun Possession

Dexter Howard, a 33-year-old Sioux City man with a rap sheet that includes drug and burglary convictions, is headed to federal prison for illegally brandishing a firearm while under the influence of drugs. The conviction lands Howard behind bars for 33 months, a sentence handed down after damning video evidence surfaced of him waving a weapon inside his vehicle near an active crime scene.

On June 18, 2021, Howard pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and as a drug user. The firearm in question was not only illegally possessed but had its manufacturer’s serial number deliberately removed—an aggravating factor that prosecutors hammered home during sentencing hearings. The weapon’s obliterated serial number points to an intent to evade law enforcement tracking, a common tactic among repeat offenders.

The break in the case came when surveillance video surfaced showing Howard waving the gun around inside his car while driving near an area police were investigating for unrelated criminal activity. Officers flagged the footage, leading to Howard’s swift arrest. At no point was he authorized to possess a firearm—his prior felony convictions stripped him of that right years ago.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand delivered the 33-month sentence in Sioux City. In addition to prison time, Howard must serve a mandatory 3-year term of supervised release upon his release. There is no parole in the federal system, meaning Howard will serve nearly every day of his sentence under lock and key before facing supervision.

This case was prosecuted under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a nationwide push targeting violent offenders in high-crime areas. PSN relies on coordinated local and federal enforcement to dismantle cycles of violence. By focusing on felons like Howard who rearm themselves, the program aims to disrupt the pipeline from conviction to re-offense.

The investigation was led by the Sioux City Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild. Howard remains in U.S. Marshals custody pending transfer to a federal prison. The case, filed as 21-CR-4011, is publicly accessible via the Northern District of Iowa’s court records at ecf.iand.uscourts.gov. Follow updates from the U.S. Attorney’s Office at @USAO_NDIA.