Joseph Haack Gets 33 Months for Armed Shoplifting Spree

A South Sioux City, Nebraska, man was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison on November 18, 2021, after being caught twice in one day armed with stolen, defaced firearms while high on methamphetamine and marijuana. Joseph Haack, 23, admitted guilt to one count of possession of a firearm by a drug user, a charge that slammed the door on any leniency under federal law.

The unraveling began on November 2, 2020, when Sioux City Police pulled Haack over during a routine traffic stop. Inside the vehicle, officers found a stolen rifle with its serial number ground off—a telltale sign of criminal intent. That same day, Haack was caught shoplifting at a local store, this time carrying a loaded handgun. That weapon, too, was stolen and had its serial number obliterated, federal records show.

Haack’s drug use wasn’t a side note—it was central to the crime. Prosecutors proved he was an active user of methamphetamine and marijuana, making his possession of any firearm a federal felony. There’s no gray area: federal law bars drug users from owning or carrying guns, and Haack violated that rule with weapons tied to other crimes.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand handed down the 33-month sentence in Sioux City, emphasizing the danger posed by armed individuals in the grip of addiction. Haack will also face two years of supervised release after prison. There is no parole in the federal system—what the judge gives is what he’ll serve.

The case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Justice Department’s hammer against violent crime. PSN targets repeat and high-risk offenders through coordinated crackdowns between federal and local agencies. Here, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) partnered with Sioux City Police to ensure Haack didn’t slip through the cracks.

Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild prosecuted the case, which unfolded in the Northern District of Iowa. Court records are available under case file 21-4006 at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. Follow updates from the U.S. Attorney’s Office at @USAO_NDIA.