Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Homemade Firearm

A man who was found in possession of a homemade firearm pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Som Boun Cam, age 56, from Council Bluffs, Iowa, was convicted of possessing a smooth bore, .410 gauge pistol, which was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

In a plea agreement, Cam admitted that on April 14, 2022, he was in the Meskwaki Casino hotel when he was involved in a scuffle with another guest and misplaced his backpack.  Hotel staff subsequently found the backpack, and when they looked in it, they found methamphetamine and a homemade smooth bore .410 gauge pistol.  On April 19, 2022, Cam returned to the hotel to claim his property.  Cam admitted he had manufactured the firearm.  This was a firearm that was required to be registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, but it was not registered to him.  Cam has a 1995 felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and methamphetamine, a 2017 felony conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon, and multiple assault convictions.        

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 C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Cam will remain in custody pending sentencing.  Cam faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 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 Patrick J. Reinert and was investigated by the Meskwaki Nation Police 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 23-CR-00050.

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