Clear Lake Man Sentenced to 54 Months in Federal Prison

A 24-year-old Clear Lake man has been sentenced to more than 4 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon and illegal drug user.

Riley Joe Morris Brekke, 24, from Clear Lake, Iowa, received the prison term after pleading guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon and an unlawful drug user.

In a plea agreement, Brekke admitted that on May 11, 2023, while outside a liquor store in Mason City, he was approached by Mason City Police officers regarding outstanding warrants for a probation violation and escape from custody. Brekke ran from the officers, was caught, and arrested. During a search of Brekke, officers located a needle and a bag of methamphetamine on his person. They also located a gun, ammunition, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia in the backpack he threw.

Brekke had previously been convicted of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, a felony, in Cerro Gordo County in 2022. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Fletcher and investigated by Mason City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Brekke was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. He was sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Brekke is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case, No. 23-CR-03020, can be accessed at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. Follow the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

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