Protecting Your Rights Throughout Eastern Iowa Since 1981

Trafficking of guns leads to almost 30-year prison for Iowa man

On Behalf of | Nov 18, 2016 | Felonies

There are a great number of federal laws governing thousands of situations. Given all of these offenses, it is easy to make a mistake during a variety of business transactions that could lead to criminal liability and prosecution. Of course, matters involving drugs, whether illegal, like marijuana or heroin, or prescription, can result in prosecutions and sentences ranging from minor to severe.

Guns are another item subject to much regulation. Guns are easily available for sale in many gun shops across Iowa, and the right to own them by an individual is generally protected by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. However, that right has limits and transfers of some guns, such as machine guns, are typically much more restricted. There are many regulations relating to the sale of guns, including who, what, and where they can sell them.

One Iowa man ran afoul of these regulations regarding selling guns overseas and was sentenced to almost 342 months or almost 29 years in prison as a result. He and three other individuals were arrested after federal and state authorities, acting on tips they received from local gun dealers in the Cedar Rapids area. The tips indicated the group was engaging in suspicious transactions.

The criminal investigation discovered that they had been shipping guns to Lebanon. They had hidden the guns and ammunition inside of a skid loader that was being shipped to Lebanon inside of a shipping container. The deal would have been lucrative, as the value of the guns overseas was estimated at ten times their price in Iowa.

The man pled guilty to violations of the Arms Export Control Act, was not a licensed gun dealer, was engaged in money laundering, and was illegally shipping the guns. His possession of guns also violated a previous conviction for domestic violence.

As this case demonstrates, matters involving the sale of firearms can lead to criminal charges and to a near-life-sentence for violations of these laws. If you have been arrested and charged with gun crimes, you need experienced legal assistance to deal with the potentially severe penalties you could be facing.