Dubuque Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Gun Possession

A man who possessed a firearm as a felon pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Nicholas David Welter, age 32, from Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

In a plea agreement, Welter admitted that on October 18, 2024, law enforcement officers found him while he was sitting in a vehicle in Dubuque.  There was a loaded stolen firearm near his feet.  Welter admitted that he possessed the gun.  Welter has prior felony convictions for theft second degree and burglary third degree.   

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 Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Welter remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Welter faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, 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 25-CR-1001.  Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.