Christopher Powell, Gun Crime, Iowa 2020

Gun Crime Lands Iowa Man in Federal Prison

A Dakota City, Iowa man has been sentenced to over six years in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a gun and ammunition.

Christopher Powell, 39, of Dakota City, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person on June 17, 2019.

Powell's crime was discovered when he fired a gun dangerously close to a home and a school bus while pheasant hunting, and an off-duty deputy confronted him. The deputy found that Powell had been using methamphetamine at the time.

A review of Powell's past convictions revealed that he was a four-time felon, including a conviction for Burglary in the Third Degree, and a domestic abuse misdemeanant. Investigation showed that Powell attempted to subvert the law by having his wife purchase his gun.

Powell was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand on January 30, 2020. He was sentenced to 73 months' imprisonment, followed by a one-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Powell is currently being held in the United States Marshal's custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime. It was also part of Project Guardian, a Department of Justice initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.

The case was investigated by the O'Brien County Sheriff's Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

Powell's case file number is 19-4009. For more information about Project Guardian, visit https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-launches-project-guardian-initiative-reduce-gun-violence-and-enhance.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndia/pr/four-time-felon-meth-user-and-domestic-abuse-misdemeanant-sentenced-federal-prison-gun