Felon in Possession of Firearms Lands 6-Month Prison Sentence
A convicted felon from Cherokee, Iowa, has been sentenced to six months in federal prison for being in possession of firearms.
Jon Merrit Draper, 57, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a felon on September 18, 2018. The evidence presented during his sentencing and change of plea hearings revealed that Draper was a marijuana manufacturer, distributor, and user who was also in possession of three guns. Two of the guns were loaded, and none were cased.
Draper’s marijuana operation supplied the weekly habit of at least one person for approximately two years and the daily habit of others for an unknown time period. The guns were found in a bedroom adjacent to a parlor used for drug use and above a basement used to manufacture drugs.
Draper’s criminal history includes a conviction for dominion and control of a firearm as a felon in 1991, two minor controlled substance related violations in 2003 and 2015, six OWI convictions, and an assault conviction. He received a 15-year suspended sentence for the firearm conviction in 1991.
Draper was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand in Sioux City. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term and pay a $100 special assessment. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
Draper was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set. The case was investigated by the Cherokee Police Department and Cherokee Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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