Chicago Man Caught with Stolen Firearm and Marijuana Pleads Guilty to Possessing Firearm as a Prohibited Person

A man who possessed a firearm as a prohibited person pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Johnny Martell Brown, age 31, from Chicago, Illinois, was convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon and drug user. 

In a plea agreement, Brown admitted that on December 16, 2022, in Cedar Rapids, law enforcement stopped a car that he was driving.  Officers searched the car and found a loaded stolen firearm and marijuana.  In Brown’s underwear, officers discovered a Cheetos bag that contained marijuana.  Brown admitted that he regularly smoked marijuana.  He also has felony convictions for conspiracy to distribute heroin and possessing a controlled substance. 

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Brown remains in custody of the United States Marshal.  Brown faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a special assessment of $100, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. 

The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Cedar Rapids Police Department. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 23-CR-34. 

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.