Four-Time Felon and Drug User Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a Loaded Revolver

A Cedar Rapids man was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a loaded revolver.

Charles Dixon Taylor, IV, age 43, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 31, 2019 guilty plea to one-count of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

At the guilty plea, Taylor admitted that on June 28, 2019, he illegally possessed a loaded revolver while driving his truck.  He was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had been previously convicted of multiple felonies, including possession of a simulated controlled substance with the intent to deliver, marijuana distribution, possession of a controlled substance, and second-degree assault by drugging a victim.  He was also prohibited because he was a user of methamphetamine and marijuana.

Statements at sentencing showed that a week after he was arrested for illegally possessing the loaded revolver, Taylor assaulted his live-in girlfriend by repeatedly punching her in the face, causing her to fall to the ground.  Taylor then continued to punch the victim while she was on the ground, causing bruising and swelling to her face.

Taylor was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Taylor was sentenced to 33 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.

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.

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

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department.