recidivist burglar gets 15 years with no parole for having gun
Contact: Peter Deegan
A man with three prior burglary convictions who was arrested with a gun in his pickup was sentenced September 15, 2010, to 15 years in federal prison.
Todd Clark, 46, from Brandon, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 22, 2010, guilty plea to being an Armed Career Criminal with a gun.
Clark has three prior felony convictions for crimes of violence, making him an Armed Career Criminal. He had two Third Degree Burglary convictions in Benton County, Iowa, on November 4, 2004, and a Third Degree Burglary conviction in Buchanan County, Iowa, on August 2, 2005. He also had prior state convictions for domestic abuse assault and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On December 17, 2009, Clark was driving in Buchanan County when he was stopped by a Buchanan County Sheriff’s Deputy on a state arrest warrant. When he was stopped, Clark had a 20 gauge shotgun and 16 rounds of ammunition in his pickup. Clark also had methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in his possession.
Clark was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Clark was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment, and a special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“At sentencing, Mr. Clark said he wouldn’t be able to see his son graduate or walk his daughter down the aisle if he was sentenced to 15 years,” said United States Attorney Stephanie Rose. “He also won’t be able to commit additional crimes and put the public at risk. Felons who are thinking about having guns need to think about the consequences first.”
Clark is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bob Teig as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a cooperative local, state, and federal program aimed at the enhanced prosecution of gun crimes. The case was investigated by the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 10-2003.
