Marijuana User Sentenced to Over Two Years for Possessing Multiple Handguns

A man who illegally possessed three separate handguns during a one-year period was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.

Aquarias Tykee Madlock, age 19, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 17, 2019, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a drug user.

Evidence at sentencing showed Madlock possessed a Ruger SR9 9mm handgun in January 2018, a stolen .380 caliber Kel-Tec handgun in April 2018, and a Hi Point JCP .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun in November 2018.  At the time he possessed these firearms, Madlock was a regular user of marijuana and was also involved in distributing marijuana.

Madlock was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Madlock was sentenced to 30 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).  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s 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.

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

The case is being 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 of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.