Five-Time Felon and Domestic Abuser Convicted for Possessing Firearm

A Cedar Rapids man who possessed a firearm after five felony convictions and a conviction for a misdemeanor domestic abuse offense was convicted by a jury today after a two-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Kirby Joe Truesdell, age 48, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of possession of a firearm by prohibited person based on his prior felony convictions and domestic abuse offense.  The verdict was returned this morning following just over an hour of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that Truesdell was observed in a residence that was not occupied at the time.  When Cedar Rapids police officers arrived on scene to investigate, they located Truesdell coming out of the garage.  Truesdell was not cooperative with officers and was taken into custody.  Officers located a loaded revolver inside a backpack in Truesdell’s possession.  Truesdell was previously convicted of the following felony offenses: OWI 3^rd Offense (on two occasions), burglary, theft, and forgery.  He was also previously convicted of assault causing bodily injury - domestic abuse-penalty enhanced.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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. will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Truesdell remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  Truesdell faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Nydle and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and the Linn County Sheriff’s Department with assistance from the US Marshal Service and the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation.  

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

The case file number is 25-cr-00006.

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