Man Who Illegally Possessed a Gun Used to Shoot and Kill Another Sentenced to Maximum Possible Sentence

Will Spend 15 Years in Federal Prison After Shooting a Man in the Head

A man who shot another man in Waterloo was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison.

Alberto Quinto-Pascual, age 37, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 28, 2020, guilty plea to being a drug user in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

Evidence at sentencing showed that on May 10, 2019, Quinto-Pascual met with a man at a bar in Waterloo.  The two men left the bar and went to a house in Waterloo where Quinto-Pascual had been staying.  While at the house, Quinto-Pascual retrieved a revolver he kept at the house and shot the victim in the head.  Quinto-Pascual then wiped down the firearm, left the house, and hid the firearm behind a car in a nearby alley.  Quinto-Pascual then went to a different house he also stayed at and, after nearly twenty minutes, called 911 to report the shooting.  Quinto-Pascual told police that the victim had shot himself.  Officers located the victim and transported him to a hospital.  The victim eventually passed away from the injuries.  During the sentencing, the court concluded that given the circumstances of the killing, Quinto-Pascual committed second-degree murder.   

Quinto-Pascual was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Quinto-Pascual was sentenced to 180 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.

"Quinto-Pascual killed a man with a gun he illegally possessed,” said United States Attorney Peter Deegan.  “Through Project Guardian and Project Safe Neighborhoods, we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute the most dangerous individuals in our community.”

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.

Quinto-Pascual 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 investigated by the Waterloo Police Department.