Rockford man convicted of illegal gun possession for third time sent federal prison

CEDAR RAPIDS – A Rockford, Iowa man who has a history of illegally possessing guns was sentenced today to more than a year in federal prison.

Duane Richard Fisher, age 48, from Rockford, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 9, 2018, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

In March 2018, law enforcement found a vehicle registered to Fisher’s girlfriend with a loaded rifle inside, but no occupants, in rural Rockford.  Fisher was found hiding in the woods in the area and claimed to be looking for deer antlers.  At the guilty plea, Fisher admitted possessing the rifle.

Fisher was previously convicted of possession of a firearm while being an unlawful user of methamphetamine in federal court in 2001 and possession of a firearm by a felon in state court in 2015.  He was also convicted of harassment and assault causing bodily injury in 2018.

Fisher was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Fisher was sentenced to 15 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).  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.

Fisher 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 Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.