James Leroy Walter Kottman, a 42-year-old felon from Luana, Iowa, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on May 16, 2019, for illegally selling a firearm—another violent breach in a criminal history steeped in drugs and deception.
Kottman pleaded guilty on December 28, 2018, to being a felon in possession of a firearm, admitting in court that in November 2017 he sold a gun to his brother-in-law. That same weapon was later turned over to police when the buyer grew suspicious it might have been stolen—triggering a federal investigation into Kottman’s illegal dealings.
At the time of the sale, Kottman was prohibited from owning or transferring firearms due to a prior conviction for possession of heroin with intent to deliver. Despite this, he not only possessed the weapon but moved to profit from it, demonstrating a blatant disregard for federal law and public safety.
As state charges mounted, Kottman compounded his crimes by attempting to obstruct justice—pressuring the buyer to lie to police and claim the gun came from someone else. The move revealed a calculated effort to evade accountability, drawing sharper scrutiny from investigators.
Sentenced by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams in Cedar Rapids, Kottman received 18 months behind bars followed by three years of supervised release. With no parole in the federal system, he’ll serve every mandated day. He remains in U.S. Marshals custody awaiting transfer to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and investigated by the Clayton County Sheriff’s Department. Court records are available under case file 18-CR-1046 at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa’s electronic filing system. Follow updates via @USAO_NDIA.
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