Hector Andrade, Possession of Firearm by Drug User, Iowa 2020

A Sioux City, Iowa man has been sentenced to over two years in federal prison for a firearms offense, after evidence revealed he was dealing marijuana and possessed a shotgun and ammunition.

Hector Andrade, 21, was sentenced to 30 months' imprisonment by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand on April 1, 2020. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term.

According to evidence presented at Andrade's change of plea and sentencing hearings, the 21-year-old was not only an unlawful user of marijuana but also a distributor of the substance. During a search of his residence, authorities found a 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition, which Andrade possessed in connection with his drug trafficking, along with glass pipes, packaging materials, a scale, U.S. currency, large amounts of marijuana, and a suitcase containing various THC products.

Andrade was again discovered dealing marijuana a month later, further solidifying the case against him. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the federal government's violent crime reduction efforts.

The case is also part of Project Guardian, the federal government's signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Andrade is being held in the United States Marshal's custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

Andrade's case file number is 19-4037. For more information about Project Guardian, please visit https://media.1122011/dl?inline.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndia/pr/armed-drug-dealer-gets-30-months-federal-prison-firearms-offense