A man who illegally possessed a gun pled guilty and was sentenced August 24, 2020, to more than nine years’ in federal prison. 

Robert Anderson, 27, from Denver, Colorado, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Anderson had been previously convicted of three felony crimes in Texas, in 2012, 2015 and 2018, respectively.

Evidence at the detention, change of plea, and sentencing hearing revealed the following.  On December 5, 2019, Anderson, who was already a three-time felon, attempted to carjack an innocent victim in front of the Hard Rock Casino and succeeded in robbing the victim at gunpoint.  The weapon used was a handgun that was loaded (and designed to use) .410 shotgun shells.

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Anderson remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.  Anderson was sentenced to 112 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a term of 3 years of supervised release following the imprisonment.  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.

The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 20-4013.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.