Felon Sentenced for Possessing Firearm

Felon Sentenced for Possessing Firearm

A Knoxville man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Nathan Leland Minard, 32, of Knoxville, Iowa, was found guilty of the offense in a U.S. District Court. He was ordered to serve 120 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and pay $100 to the Crime Victim’s Fund.

The investigation began on November 17, 2014, when the Marion County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a suspicious individual knocking on a door and then fleeing the scene. A deputy responded to the call and located the vehicle driven by Minard, which had a camouflaged shotgun stuck out the window.

After Minard racked the shotgun, the deputy persuaded him to leave the vehicle and the weapon. A search of the vehicle revealed two stolen shotguns and a determination that Minard was a convicted felon, making him ineligible to possess a firearm.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, which was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the Project Safe Neighborhood initiative.

The sentencing was handed down by Chief U.S. District Court Judge John A. Jarvey on April 19, 2016. Minard had pleaded guilty to the offense on July 13, 2015.

The case highlights the importance of the Project Safe Neighborhood initiative, which aims to reduce violent crime by targeting felons who possess firearms.