FELON SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON

A man who possessed a pistol after having been convicted of five previous felonies was sentenced August 1, 2012, to 10 years in federal prison.

Randy Scott Smith, age 50, of Corwith, Iowa, received his prison term after a February 10, 2012, guilty plea to one count of possessing a firearm having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.

According to information presented by the United States at the change of plea hearing and sentencing, from age 19 to 50, Smith had accumulated more than 28 convictions, probation and parole violations. These included five felony drunk driving offenses. Each of these felonies precluded Smith from lawfully possessing a firearm under federal law.

Despite this fact, however, on or about June 9, 2011, defendant possessed a 9- millimeter pistol. Smith had been drinking and became increasingly agitated through the day. Smith threatened to kill the people with him at the residence, then got the 9- millimeter pistol, and started waving the gun around. Later he threatened people with a sledge hammer. Smith also threatened to kill himself.

Smith was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett. Hamel was sentenced to 120 months' imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Smith is being held in the United States Marshal's custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 11-3049.

The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a cooperative local, state, and federal program aimed at the enhanced prosecution of gun crimes. The case was investigated by the ATF; and the Hancock County Sheriff's Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.