Convicted Felon Sentenced to More than Five Years in Federal Prison After Throwing a Loaded Gun out a Car Window in Cedar Rapids

Previously Convicted for Swinging a Knife at and Threatening to Cut an Employee from a Jewelry Store

A convicted felon who threw a loaded gun out a car window during a traffic stop in Cedar Rapids was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison.

Iviontae Jackson, age 24, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 4, 2018 guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Information at sentencing showed that Jackson was riding in a car on October 22, 2017, when the Cedar Rapids police initiated a traffic stop of the car.  Jackson threw a loaded gun out the window, but officers were able to find it.  Jackson had previously been convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon in 2011.  In that case, Jackson had stolen $8,000 in jewelry from a jewelry store in the Coral Ridge mall in Coralville, Iowa.  An employee of the store tried to chase him, but Jackson swung a knife at and threatened to cut the employee.  Jackson was also convicted of conspiracy in 2015, which resulted in a victim being struck with a gun.  Jackson was discharged from probation on the 2015 conviction on October 8, 2017, only two weeks before being caught with the loaded gun he threw out the window.  In sentencing Jackson, the court noted he had been treated leniently in past criminal convictions, his history of violence starting at age 11, and that he was at a high risk to recidivate.

Jackson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Clark was sentenced to 64 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.

Jackson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

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.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force.  The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshal Service, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.