Law enforcement throughout Northwest Iowa, and the United States Attorney’s Office are helping to make Iowa safer by addressing the problems of gun crime and violence.  Assistant United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax announced charges in twenty-six recent federal gun-related cases at a press conference held today at the United States Attorney’s Office.  Duax was joined by Sioux City Police Chief Rex Mueller, who stated:

“We in municipal law enforcement realize the danger that violent offenders can pose to our citizens. Identifying criminals within a community who display increasingly violent tendencies and who use firearms to support their crimes, is a priority for the Sioux City Police Department. Our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s office is key to the successful detection and prosecution of these major offenders. I am very proud of how this partnership has impacted local community safety by incarcerating these dangerous individuals.”

“There are federal laws that prohibit certain people from possessing firearms and ammunition, and public safety demands those laws be vigorously enforced,” said U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan. I want to thank all of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners for working with the United States Attorney’s Office to bring these cases to federal court. Together we are making our local communities safer for everyone.”

Individuals involved in violent crimes, and individuals involved in the illegal theft, possession or use of guns are the focus of the anti-violent crime initiative. One such individual, Matthew Lynam, a convicted felon who used a firearm to rob two men, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison today. In addition, over the past three months, the work of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies has resulted in the following individuals being charged with gun-related crimes.

Oscar Garcia; Andrew Nissen; Jessica Rose Ott; Tanner Earl Lowe; Marcus Swan; Kenneth Petersen; Lucas Osborne; Cole Allen Rongved; Logan Bergenske; Moses Strickland; Anthony Holeyfield; Antwon Holeyfield; Isaac McDonald; Matthew Derrick Guthrie; Traci Lynn Guthrie; Robinson Nguyen; Aaron Michael Hermen; Michael Marshall-Limoges; Hector Andrade; Matthew Lee Fowler; Charles Gail Westfall Jr.; Donald Eugene Rundall III; Jami Lynn Stupka; and Leah Hanson have all been charged with various violations of federal firearms law.  The charges are contained in indictments filed recently in United States District Court in Sioux City.

As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The cases were 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.

The cases were investigated by the following law enforcement agencies: Sioux City Police Department; Fort Dodge Police Department; Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement; North Central Iowa Drug Task Force; Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office; and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.