A man who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced February 25, 2022, to more than 3 years in federal prison.
Stephen Bryant, 52, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 8, 2021, guilty plea to prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Bryant was previously convicted of manufacture of methamphetamine in Marshall County, Mississippi in 2003, and manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance in Sioux County, Iowa, on April 18, 2016.
At the plea hearing, Bryant admitted he was previously convicted of a felony and was a drug user which prohibit him from possessing firearms. Evidence showed that on May 8, 2021, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Bryant was driving. Due to suspicious behavior, law enforcement deployed a K-9 on the exterior of the vehicle which indicated to the presence of controlled substances. Officers seized a handgun, which was determined to be stolen, and a magazine located underneath the driver seat.
Bryant was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Bryant was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Bryant is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
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.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by Spencer Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4045. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.