Waterloo Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison after Illegally Possessing Gun Used in Shooting of 17 Year-Old Boy

Court Imposes Maximum Allowable Sentence

A Waterloo man who illegally possessed a gun he used to shoot a minor was sentenced today to the maximum allowed under the law, ten years in prison.

Eric Cortez Sallis, age 27, from Waterloo, Iowa received the prison term after a July 14, 2017, guilty plea to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon.

At the guilty plea, Sallis admitted that on December 10, 2016, he illegally possessed a loaded Sig Sauer 9mm handgun.  Police located the gun during a search of an apartment in Waterloo.  Evidence at the sentencing hearing established that Sallis had shot another person on November 27, 2016.  On that day, while at a residence in Waterloo, Sallis confronted a 17 year-old boy.  During the confrontation, Sallis shot the boy three times.  The victim was taken to Allen Memorial Hospital and treated for gunshot wounds.  Law enforcement examined the gun that police seized on December 10 and determined it was the gun used in the shooting.  Sallis admitted to shooting the victim at the sentencing hearing.

Sallis was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Sallis was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

Sallis is 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 Lisa C. Williams and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau ofAlcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.