Convicted Felon Who Possessed a Firearm and Fled from Police Sentenced to Federal Prison

A convicted felon who possessed a handgun and fled from Cedar Rapids police officers was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.

Brent Robinson, age 23, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 25, 2024, guilty plea to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.

Information disclosed at sentencing showed that, on March 19, 2025, at approximately 2:15 a.m., officers with the Cedar Rapids Police Department attempted to stop a red car that they suspected was involved in a theft earlier that morning.  Robinson was driving the red car.  Rather than stopping, Robinson drove away at a high rate of speed, reaching 55 mph, ran multiple stop signs, and eventually crashed into a parked car.

After the crash, Robinson, who was the lone occupant, got out and ran from officers.  Despite repeat commands to stop, Robinson did not do so.  An officer eventually tackled Robinson and fell into a ditch, sustaining injuries to his knee.  Officers determined that Robinson was intoxicated. 

 Officers also searched the car Robinson had been driving.  Officers found items from the earlier theft in the glovebox.  They also found a loaded .380 caliber handgun.  Robinson later admitted that the gun belonged to a friend, but that Robinson had handled it, and his fingerprints would be on it.

At the time he possessed the handgun, Robinson was a convicted felon.  He had previously been convicted of intimidation with a dangerous weapon and robbery.  In addition to the federal conviction for possessing the handgun, Robinson was convicted in the Iowa District Court for Linn County of first-degree theft in relation to the stolen items found in the glovebox.

Robinson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Robinson was sentenced to 24 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.

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case was 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 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-54.

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