Domestic Abuser Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Firearm

Brandon Mitchell, 28, from Mason City, Iowa, pled guilty in federal court April 30, 2025, to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.  Mitchell was previously convicted twice for domestic abuse assault in the Iowa District Court for Cerro Gordo County, and as a result, was prohibited from possessing firearms. 

At the plea hearing, Mitchell admitted having two prior convictions for misdemeanor domestic violence and being an unlawful user of marijuana.  Evidence further showed that on February 24, 2024, when Mitchell received the 9mm pistol, he was under indictment for attempted murder, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, and possession of a firearm by a domestic abuser.  Mitchell also admitted that during a search warrant at his residence he discarded the 9mm pistol out of a bedroom window in an attempt to avoid being found in possession of a firearm.   

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.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Mitchell remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Mitchell faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Division of Narcotic Enforcement, and Mason City Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.  

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

The case file number is 24-3038.  

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