CEDAR RAPIDS – An Iowa man who sold a stolen firearm and was an unlawful user of marijuana and methamphetamine pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Gilbert Lopez, Jr., age 33, from West Union, Iowa, was convicted of two counts of being an unlawful drug user in possession of firearms and one count of selling a stolen firearm.
At the plea hearing, Lopez admitted that on April 15, 2019, he was an unlawful user of marijuana and methamphetamine. On that date he knowingly sold a stolen .40 caliber handgun to another. On April 16, 2019, when law enforcement officials executed a search warrant, Lopez admitted he had a .380 caliber handgun.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Lopez remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. For each of the three counts, Lopez faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert and was investigated by the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
