Press Release
Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Firearm
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Iowa
Halstead, a convicted felon, was found in possession of marijuana and a handgun.
A man who illegally possessed a firearm pled guilty August 19, 2021, in federal court in Sioux City.
William Howard Rockey Halstead, 34, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
At the plea hearing, Halstead admitted that he had been previously convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon, in the Iowa District Court for Webster County, on or about May 15, 2017. Reports show that, on September 2, 2020, Halstead was stopped by law enforcement for having an inoperable break light. During the stop, law enforcement observed multiple items resembling marijuana in plain view within the car. Halstead was asked to step out of the car at which time he locked his glovebox and exited the car. A subsequent search of Halstead uncovered a digital scale in his pocket. A search of the car revealed numerous pieces of marijuana on the seat, floorboard, and center console of the vehicle. Law enforcement then asked Halstead for the keys to unlock the glovebox. Halstead at first claimed the keys were in the car, but in fact Halstead had the keys in his hand. Law enforcement then opened the glovebox and found a loaded Hi-Point JCP 40 Smith and Wesson handgun. Upon arrest, Halstead admitted he also had a small bag of methamphetamine in his sock.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand has been set for time, date, and place. Halstead remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Halstead faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikala Purdy-Steenholdt and Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department and 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 20-3040. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Updated August 23, 2021
Topics
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Firearms Offenses
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