Friday, December 27, 2019

Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Loaded Firearm


A man who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison.

Dante Williams, age 37, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 17, 2019, guilty plea to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.  Williams unlawfully possessed a loaded pistol in his waistband at the time of his arrest for public intoxication and disorderly conduct.  He was prohibited from possessing firearms based on two prior convictions for misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence.  He was also prohibited for being a drug user.

Williams was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Williams was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

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.   

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, 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; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/ag/page/file/1217186/download.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Dupuich and Assistant United States Attorney Justin Lightfoot and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive

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