Dubuque Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Gun

A convicted felon and drug user who unlawfully possessed a loaded gun was sentenced on March 26, 2018, to more than two years in federal prison.

Todd Richard McDonald, age 49, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 16, 2017, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon and drug user.  At the guilty plea, McDonald admitted that on June 15, 2017, he possessed a loaded revolver.  McDonald had previously been convicted of a felony theft offense in 1994.  He was also an unlawful user of methamphetamine and marijuana.  Officers from the Dubuque Police Department found the loaded gun in McDonald’s car during a traffic stop.  McDonald also had ammunition, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia in the car.

McDonald was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  McDonald was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 3-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), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.   In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

McDonald 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 the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. 

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

The case file number is 17-cr-1033.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.