Brandon Tumause Owen, Unlawful Drug User in Possession of a Firearm, Iowa 2020

A 20-year-old Cedar Rapids man has been indicted for brandishing an AR-15 assault rifle during a protest in Iowa City.

Brandon Tumause Owen, 20, of Cedar Rapids, was stopped by Iowa City Police on June 7, 2020, for a traffic offense. An impaired driving investigation indicated Owen was under the influence of marijuana, and an AR-15 rifle was located inside his vehicle.

Under federal law, it is illegal for an unlawful drug user to possess firearms.

'Our Constitution protects everyone's right to peacefully protest against injustice,' said United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. 'It does not protect anyone's right to illegally carry and publicly brandish an AR-15. We will prosecute those - including protestors - who commit federal gun crimes.'

The FBI's Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel added, 'The FBI holds sacred the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment freedoms. When someone threatens the safety of peaceful protestors, we will step in to protect them.'

Owen was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 30, 2020, for one count of Unlawful Drug User in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. Sections 922(g)(3) and 924(a).

The public is reminded that charges contain only accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Project Guardian and Project Safe Neighborhoods, programs bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

The matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Iowa City Police, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety. The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdia/pr/cedar-rapids-man-indicted-unlawful-possession-ar-15-assault-rifle-iowa-city-protest