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Press Release

Convicted Felon Who Sold a Gun to a Confidential Informant Sentenced to Federal Prison

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Iowa
Has over 30 criminal convictions, some including violence

A convicted felon who unlawfully possessed a firearm that he then sold to a confidential informant was sentenced today to seven years in federal prison.

Delano Antwuan Deshazer, age 34, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a March 8, 2021 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

The facts in this case show that Deshazer sold a firearm to a confidential informant in Dubuque, Iowa, in February 2020.  Deshazer has an extensive criminal history, including convictions in over 30 different cases.  His convictions include felony convictions for eluding and escape.  Deshazer was also previously convicted of domestic abuse on four occasions.

Deshazer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. William.  Deshazer was sentenced to 84 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.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Deshazer 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 Emily K. Nydle and investigated by Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 

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

The case file number is 20-cr-1029.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Updated September 10, 2021

Topics
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Firearms Offenses