Kendall J. Willis, Possessing Firearm After Shots Fired Call, Iowa 2020

Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Firearm After Shots Fired Call in Cedar Rapids

A felon who was found in possession of a firearm following a shots fired call has pleaded guilty in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Kendall J. Willis, age 25, from Chicago, Illinois, was convicted of one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. This charge carries a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The evidence presented showed that on May 21, 2020, a call was made to the Cedar Rapids 911 line reporting shots fired at an apartment complex on North Towne Court in Cedar Rapids. Police officers arrived at the scene and spoke with multiple witnesses. One witness saw two individuals, one of whom was later identified as Willis, walk into an apartment after the shots were fired. The witness saw that each individual was holding a handgun. Officers searched the ground near where the shots were fired and found three 9mm shell casings.

Willis had previously been convicted of a felony armed robbery charge in Chicago in 2014. He remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Ballistics testing determined that two of the shell casings found outside the apartment were fired by one of the pistols and that the other shell casing had been fired by the other pistol. During a later search of the apartment, officers found marijuana, drug packaging, and two 9mm pistols, one of which had an extended magazine.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. This program focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. The case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms.

Willis will be sentenced by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams after a presentence report is prepared. He faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndia/pr/felon-pleads-guilty-possessing-firearm-after-shots-fired-call-cedar-rapids