Humboldt Man Sentenced to 21 Months for Armed Felon

A convicted felon with a taste for danger was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison after he was caught with a stolen gun in Humboldt, Iowa.

Joseph Isiah Hardy, Sr., 38, of Humboldt, Iowa, is now facing the music after a guilty plea to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. On November 28, 2023, Hardy copped to the charge, and on April 16, 2024, he was handed a stiff prison term.

The evidence against Hardy was as straightforward as a 2×4. On October 27, 2022, the Humboldt Police Department received a call about a possible stolen gun. When they arrived, they found Hardy in possession of the stolen firearm. It didn’t take long for him to crack under the pressure – Hardy admitted to the felony assault of an at-risk person in Colorado in 2012 and knowingly possessing a stolen firearm.

Hardy’s luck finally ran out when United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand handed down the sentence in Sioux City. The sentence? A cool 21 months in the can, plus a 3-year term of supervised release after he’s done his time. In the federal system, there’s no parole to look forward to.

Hardy is currently cooling his heels in the United States Marshal’s custody, waiting to be transported to a federal prison. The case was a team effort, with the Humboldt Police Department, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa State Patrol all pitching in. Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit did the heavy lifting in court.

The case file number is CR23-3010, and you can find more info on the court files at ecf.iand.uscourts.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA for the latest updates on this and other cases.