Dubuque Man Sentenced to Federal Prison After Cops Find Gun and Drugs in His Bag

A convicted felon from Dubuque who possessed a gun was sentenced today to seven years in federal prison.

Davon Michael Cornwell, age 22, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 21, 2026, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Cornwell was the passenger in a car that Dubuque police officers stopped in February 2025.  Officers searched the car after smelling the odor of marijuana.  Cornwell was hanging on to a bookbag at the time, which officers also searched.  Oficers found approximately 87 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, fake $100 bills, and a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol in the bag.  The gun had a loaded 14-round magazine attached.  Fingerprints from the gun matched Cornwell’s.  At the time, Cornwall had multiple arrest warrants pending.  He has a significant criminal history which includes convictions for burglary, willful injury causing bodily injury, interference with official acts while armed with a firearm, and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. 

Cornwell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard Strand.  Cornwell was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment fee.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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

The case file number is 25-CR-1023.

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