CEDAR RAPIDS – This Iowa man donned a suit, taped his mouth shut, draped an American flag over his shoulders, and armed himself with a loaded gun as he attempted to enter a city council meeting, and his choices have now made him guilty of a federal firearms crime.
A federal jury found Austin Andrew Goodman, 42, guilty Tuesday, August 11, 2026, of possessing a firearm while prohibited following a one-day trial in Cedar Rapids.
Goodman (pictured at top) was barred from possessing firearms because he had previously been committed to a mental institution. He was prosecuted under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(4).
Evidence showed that at approximately 6:34 p.m. on March 3, 2025, Goodman entered Dubuque’s Historic Federal Building at 350 West Sixth Street while wearing a suit, an American flag across his shoulders and tape over his mouth.
Goodman had two dogs on leashes and a loaded Sig Sauer P365 semiautomatic handgun on his hip. He was livestreaming his entrance on Facebook as he headed toward the second-floor council chambers, where a Dubuque City Council meeting was underway.
Dubuque police officers assigned to provide security at the meeting intercepted Goodman before he entered the chambers.
Police said at the time that they were familiar with Goodman from previous investigations and were already investigating an alleged no-contact-order violation. Authorities had also monitored social-media posts indicating he planned to attend the meeting to protest his interactions with police and other government agencies.
Officers arrested Goodman after a struggle. Dubuque police initially charged him with interference with official acts while armed, a Class D felony; assault on persons in certain occupations and possession of a controlled substance, both serious misdemeanors; being an ineligible person carrying a dangerous weapon, a serious misdemeanor; interference with official acts, a simple misdemeanor; and contempt for allegedly violating a no-contact order.
Those state charges were later dismissed without prejudice after federal prosecutors obtained an indictment arising from the firearm possession. A dismissal without prejudice does not prevent prosecutors from refiling charges.
The federal indictment was filed in September 2025 under case number 25-CR-1039-CJW-MAR.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge C.J. Williams will schedule sentencing after a presentence investigation report is completed. Goodman remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
He faces up to 15 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The maximum penalties are set by law, while the court will determine the sentence after considering federal guidelines and other factors.
The conviction comes as federal authorities continue targeting illegal gun possession across Iowa. In another recent case, a Northern Iowa felon caught transporting 20 firearms was sent to federal prison.
Federal officials said Goodman’s prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative that includes efforts against violent crime, illegal immigration, cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily K. Nydle prosecuted the case. The Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and FBI conducted the investigation.