Rajih Rafee Donley, Gun Possession by Felon, Iowa 2020

Rajih Rafee Donley, 33, Sentenced to 27 Months in Federal Prison for Gun Possession

In a harsh sentence, Rajih Rafee Donley, a 33-year-old from Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a gun. The sentence, handed down by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand, was a result of Donley's guilty plea on October 2, 2020.

Donley admitted to possessing a firearm in 2018 despite having a prior felony conviction. His past convictions include felony offenses involving marijuana and cocaine in Illinois in addition to a 2019 conviction in Iowa for willful injury causing serious injury, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, going armed with intent, and two counts of possessing a firearm as a felon.

The case against Donley was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime. 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 also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice's signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Project Guardian draws upon the Department's past successful programs to reduce gun violence, enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes, and improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Donley is currently being held in the United States Marshal's custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office and the Cedar Falls Police Department.

Donley must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after completing his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case file number is 19-cr-2035. For more information, visit the court's website at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

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Mandatory Facts:

• Defendant: Rajih Rafee Donley
• Criminal Charges: Possession of a firearm by a felon
• City and State: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
• Date: October 2, 2020
• Sentence: 27 months' imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndia/pr/illinois-felon-sentenced-prison-possessing-gun