A violent altercation at a Waterloo liquor store has landed two men in federal prison for gun crimes. Dai'Sean Battles, 21, from Waterloo, and Irvin Johnson Jr., 20, also from Waterloo, were sentenced for their roles in the incident.
According to their plea agreements and information presented at their sentencing hearings, Battles and Johnson were observed by police leaving the scene of a fight at a Waterloo liquor store on May 26, 2012. They flagged down a passing motorist for a ride and got inside the motorist’s vehicle. Battles and Johnson were each carrying concealed loaded firearms.
When police initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle, Battles threw a Glock 27 .40 caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number out the window where it was recovered by police. Johnson hid a Browning Buckmark .22 caliber pistol underneath the seat in the vehicle. Battles and Johnson were each on probation at the time; Battles for his 2010 conviction for possessing cocaine with intent to deliver and Johnson for a February 2012 conviction for carrying weapons.
Battles and Johnson were each sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Battles was sentenced on January 17, 2013 to 46 months’ imprisonment. Johnson was sentenced on February 5, 2013 to 15 months’ imprisonment, with the sentence running consecutively to a sentence he received as a result of violating his probation. Each must pay a special assessment of $100.
They must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after their prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system. Battles and Johnson are both being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Lightfoot and was investigated by the Cedar Valley Gang Task Force and a specialized unit of the Waterloo Police Department known as the Violent Crime Apprehension Team, or VCAT. The Cedar Valley Gang Task Force is comprised of members from the Waterloo Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, Cedar Falls Police Department, Waverly Police Department, State of Iowa Probation and Parole, and the United States Marshals Service.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number for both Battles and Johnson is CR 12-2019. The sentences handed down to Battles and Johnson serve as a reminder of the serious consequences of gun crimes and the importance of law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in communities like Waterloo.
Related Federal Cases
- KC Predator Gets 30 Years · Iowa
- Cross-State Stalker Pleads Guilty · Pennsylvania
- Harvard Faces DOJ Bias Suit · Massachusetts
- Vandewalker Pleads Guilty · Iowa
- David Risse Sentenced · Iowa
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
