SIOUX CITY – A convicted Clear Lake felon is facing federal gun possession charges and could spend years behind bars.
Michael Ryan Mikkelson (pictured at top), age 37, from Clear Lake, Iowa, has been charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon and person convicted of domestic violence. The charges are contained in an Indictment filed on February 14, 2024, in United States District Court in Sioux City.
The Indictment alleges that from March 1, 2023, through October 3, 2023, Mikkelson knowingly possessed a firearm and ammunition having been previously convicted on four occasions of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and also convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
If convicted, Mikkelson faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
Mikkelson appeared this week in federal court in Sioux City and was held without bond. Mikkelson’s next appearance for a detention hearing is set for February 28, 2024.
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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by the Clear Lake Police Department, Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Manly Police Department, Worth County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Cerro Gordo County Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and United States Marshal’s Service.