COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Cole Jacob Bergantzel, age 20, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced Thursday, May 12, 2022, to 48 months in federal prison for Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. His term of imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release. According to court documents, Bergantzel pleaded guilty to the charge on January 5, 2022.
In March of 2021, Bergantzel attempted to sell firearms on Snapchat and in September of 2021, Bergantzel was arrested after he discharged a firearm in a residential area. Bergantzel was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition as he is a drug user and addicted to a controlled substance.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Iowa.