David Rafael Walker, Gun Possession, Iowa 2024

A Cedar Rapids man has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison for a string of violent crimes.

David Rafael Walker, age 38, was handed the 10-year prison term by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams, after being found guilty of possession of a firearm by a felon.

The charges stem from two separate shootings in Cedar Rapids. On December 14, 2021, Walker shot at a woman and a child after becoming enraged that the woman had gone to lunch with another man.

Three days later, Walker was driving in Cedar Rapids when he noticed he was being followed by another car. He stopped his vehicle in the middle of the street, opened his door, and pointed a gun at the other car. A person in the other car shot back at Walker, and the incident was captured on doorbell cameras in the area.

The evidence presented at trial and during sentencing showed that Walker has a history of felony convictions, including attempting to elude, manufacturing or delivering heroin, and other drug offenses.

Walker will also serve a three-year term of supervised release after his prison term. He is currently being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence in communities across the country.

The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Devra Hake, Emily Nydle, and Dan Tvedt, with the investigation conducted by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force, which includes representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Marion Police Department.

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