A man who illegally possessed firearms was sentenced March 29, 2022, to more than 2 years in federal prison.
Justin Figueroa, 25, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 22, 2021, guilty plea to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from at least 2017 through 2021, Figueroa was an unlawful user of controlled substances, and had been convicted of an April 2020 felony drug offense, both prohibit Figueroa from possessing guns. However, Figueroa possessed five guns from April 2017 through June 2020, specifically, a 5.56/.223 rifle, two Glock 9mm pistols, a 5.7X28mm pistol, and a .38 caliber revolver. Figueroa also admitted that he possessed the guns in connection with his felonious drug trafficking, and that on one occasion traded a gun for a controlled substance. That gun was later found to be part of an attempted murder of a 2-year-old.
Figueroa was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Figueroa was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Figueroa 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 investigated by the Spencer Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 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 21-4051. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.