Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison on Firearms Charges

A Cedar Rapids man who illegally possessed multiple firearms was sentenced this week to 14 years in federal prison.

Christopher McGee, 22, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after pleading guilty to two counts of possessing a firearm as a felon.  As part of his August 2016 guilty plea, defendant admitted that he knowingly possessed two firearms after having sustained a felony conviction in 2014.

Evidence at this week’s sentencing hearing showed that defendant’s offense involved at least three firearms, that he possessed a firearm in connection with the felony offense of assault while displaying a dangerous weapon, and that in May 2016, he led officers on a high speed chase when they attempted to arrest him.  While leading officers on the high speed chase, defendant was carrying a semiautomatic pistol with a high capacity magazine.

McGee was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  McGee was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  In explaining the sentence, Judge Strand cited McGee’s history of weapons offense, his history of eluding police, and the need to protect the public from further crimes.  There is no parole in the federal system.  McGee is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ravi T. Narayan and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Safe Streets Task Force.  This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a cooperative local, state and federal program aimed at the enhanced prosecution of gun crimes.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 16-CR-52.