Felony Gun Charge Lands Cedar Rapids Man 11 Years in Federal Prison

Cedar Rapids Felon Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison

A 39-year-old Cedar Rapids man has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison for possessing a gun as a convicted felon.

Ivan Clark, a Cedar Rapids native, received a 137-month prison term after pleading guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm on January 11, 2018.

The case began on October 17, 2017, when Clark’s wife called the police, reporting that he had been drinking. Responding officers found Clark in a car, which he attempted to drive away from at speeds approaching 50 mph in a residential area. Clark’s blood alcohol level that night was .091.

Clark led the officers on a pursuit before eventually returning to his home, where he tried to re-enter the residence but was unsuccessful. He then resisted arrest, forcing the officers to use a Taser to subdue him.

U.S. District Court Judge Linda R. Reade noted during the sentencing that Clark had a lengthy history of ignoring the law and assaultive behavior, including domestic assault. Clark has two previous federal convictions, one for drug trafficking in Illinois and another in Iowa.

The judge deemed Clark a danger to the community and at high risk of committing further crimes. Clark was sentenced to 137 months in federal prison, followed by a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was brought as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, a collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made addressing rising violent crime a top priority, reinvigorating the PSN program in 2017.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force, which includes representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshal Service, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.