Daniel Heim, Being a Drug User in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition, Iowa 2020

Dubuque resident Daniel Heim, 32, stood before a federal judge in Cedar Rapids on August 17, 2020, and admitted to hoarding a small army’s worth of weapons while actively using illegal drugs. He pleaded guilty to one count of being a drug user in possession of firearms and ammunition — a federal felony that carries up to a decade behind bars.

Heim admitted during the plea hearing and in a signed agreement that in December 2019, he possessed 14 firearms and 3,398 rounds of ammunition while using marijuana and cocaine. The arsenal, uncovered during a law enforcement probe, underscores a dangerous intersection of substance abuse and unchecked access to deadly weapons in eastern Iowa.

The case, prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel, was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Authorities say the seizure was part of a broader crackdown on illegal gun possession among high-risk individuals.

Heim now awaits sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams, which will be scheduled after a presentence report is completed. Currently free on bond, Heim faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release if sentenced to incarceration.

This prosecution is tied to two federal anti-violence initiatives: Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian. PSN focuses on data-driven strategies to dismantle violent crime networks, while Project Guardian targets gun law violators through enhanced coordination between federal, state, and local agencies. The DOJ says both programs prioritize enforcement against the most dangerous offenders.

For more case details, court documents are available through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa’s electronic filing system under case number CR 20-1006. Follow updates from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

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