WATERLOO, IA – Levi Farren Miller, 30, of Waterloo, Iowa, will spend the next seven years in federal prison after being sentenced for illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun. The sentence, handed down by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand in Cedar Rapids, underscores the federal government’s commitment to cracking down on violent offenders.
According to court documents, Miller brandished the weapon during a dispute with a neighbor over property on the neighbor’s porch. The confrontation took a particularly ugly turn, with Miller reportedly using racially charged language. This wasn’t Miller’s first brush with the law; he’s a repeat offender with a lengthy criminal history including two convictions for burglary, two for theft, one for attempted burglary, and a conspiracy charge related to methamphetamine manufacturing.
Prosecutors presented evidence detailing Miller’s prior felonies, solidifying the case for a significant sentence. The 84-month prison term is followed by a mandatory three-year period of supervised release. Crucially, there is no parole in the federal system – Miller will serve the entirety of his sentence.
The case was prosecuted under the umbrella of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice initiative focused on reducing violent crime through targeted enforcement and community partnerships. PSN aims to address the root causes of violence and provide lasting solutions. Simultaneously, the prosecution leaned heavily on Project Guardian, a DOJ program specifically designed to combat gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.
Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle led the prosecution, with crucial investigative work conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Waterloo Police Department. Miller remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service awaiting transport to a designated federal prison facility. Court file information can be found at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl, case number 19-cr-02031.
This sentencing serves as a stark warning: possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, particularly a dangerous weapon like a sawed-off shotgun, will result in serious federal consequences. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the ongoing efforts to remove dangerous individuals and weapons from Iowa’s streets. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Twitter @USAO_NDIA for further updates.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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