Joe Ripka, Gun Possession By Felon, Iowa 2022

A Hartley man has been found guilty of possessing a firearm, despite being a felon. Joe Ripka, 34, from Hartley, Iowa, pled guilty on August 1, 2022 to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

Ripka was previously convicted of Failure to Affix Drug Stamp in the Iowa District Court for Emmet County on October 23, 2017. This conviction prohibits a person from possessing a firearm.

Evidence at the plea hearing showed that on December 22, 2021, law enforcement observed the vehicle Ripka was driving without any license plates. During the stop, Ripka displayed signs of impairment. A K9 was deployed on the exterior of the car and indicated the presence of controlled substances from within, at which time Ripka stated there was a firearm in the car and acknowledged he was a felon.

Law enforcement uncovered a .380 handgun in the driver’s door. Later, upon inspection of the officer’s vehicle near where Ripka had been seated on December 22, 2021, the arresting officer located a pack of cigarettes wedged between the seats which contained 1 gram of methamphetamine.

Ripka faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.

Ripka remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.

Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Court file information can be found at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 22-4041.

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