Matthew Welcher, Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm, Iowa 2021

A prohibited person who possessed a firearm pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Matthew Welcher, age 43, from Dundee, was convicted of one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. At the plea hearing, Welcher admitted that, on May 24, 2021, he possessed a Savage Axis 6.5 Creedmoor caliber rifle after having been convicted of two felonies and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and while he was subject to a no contact order.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Welcher remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Welcher faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the violent crime reduction efforts. 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. As part of this strategy, PSN 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 being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and is being investigated by the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, the Manchester Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Matthew Welcher, age 43, remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. The case file number is CR 22-2011.

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