CEDAR RAPIDS – A man who accidentally shot his girlfriend was sentenced yesterday to more than five years in federal prison.
Norris O’Dell Hughes, age 30, from Clear Lake, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 2, 2015, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon. He was also an illegal user of controlled substances.
The evidence showed that on February 24, 2015, Hughes accidentally shot his girlfriend at a residence in Forest City, Iowa. After being alerted to the shooting by a neighbor, officers stopped a vehicle occupied by Hughes and his girlfriend. Officers observed Hughes’ girlfriend had a gunshot wound to the leg. Officers recovered Hughes’ loaded handgun from the vehicle, which was determined to be stolen. Hughes was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had a prior felony conviction for burglary and was an illegal user of marijuana and meth.
Hughes was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Hughes was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Hughes is being held in the United States Marshall’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
