CEDAR RAPIDS – A convicted felon who illegally possessed a firearm while violating a no contact order was sentenced April 25, 2018, to eight years in federal prison.
Eric Brown, age 38, of Mason City, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 28, 2017, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to the plea agreement and other evidence presented in court, Brown was arrested in the driveway of a home after the resident, with whom Brown had a no contact order, called for police assistance due to Brown knocking on the windows of the residence. When apprehended, Brown had a loaded .22 caliber Colt revolver concealed in his waistband. Brown had previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including armed robbery, robbery, burglary, and attempted armed robbery in Cook County, Illinois.
Brown was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Brown was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Brown is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyndie M. Freeman and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Mason City Police Department.
