Jeremy Keith Heldt, Felon in Possession of Ammunition, Iowa 2019

A Cedar Rapids man was sentenced to more than two years in federal prison after stealing firearms from his grandfather and a friend, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Iowa.

Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Jeremy Keith Heldt, 34, to 28 months' imprisonment on November 20, 2019. Heldt must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Heldt pleaded guilty on June 4, 2019, to one count of felon in possession of ammunition. In a plea agreement, Heldt admitted to stealing a loaded .45 caliber pistol from his grandfather in April 2017. He also stole a .22 caliber rifle from his friend's residence in Hiawatha, Iowa, in May 2017.

Heldt has an extensive criminal history dating back to at least 2003. In 2004, he was convicted of felony third-degree burglary in Linn County and prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. He was also convicted of felony first-degree criminal mischief in Dallas County in 2004 after he used a stolen handgun to fire multiple rounds of ammunition into a residence.

Law enforcement officers found Heldt sitting on a porch with a duffel bag containing a loaded .45 caliber pistol, ammunition, knives, and drug paraphernalia after he struck a parked car in April 2017. He was barred from driving at the time and initially drove away from the scene of the accident, but soon returned to survey the damage.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Heldt was released on bond and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Hiawatha Police Department.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndia/pr/cedar-rapids-felon-sentenced-federal-prison-after-stealing-firearms-grandfather-and