Iowa Man Sentenced for Illegally Purchasing Firearms for Others

Tyler Meriweather, age 24, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was sentenced on September 17, 2024, to 30 months’ imprisonment for illegally purchasing firearms for others.

Meriweather pled guilty on March 4, 2024, to the straw purchase of firearms.  Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Meriweather purchased multiple firearms from federal firearms licensed businesses in Iowa for individuals he knew were prohibited from possessing or purchasing firearms, including a relative in California who is a felon.  After a firearm was recovered from a minor in Fort Dodge, investigators determined the firearm had originally been purchased by Meriweather.  Further investigation showed Meriweather purchased additional firearms.  When interviewed, Meriweather ultimately admitted to purchasing firearms on behalf of others who could not legally purchase them.  Additionally, Meriweather admitted to being a user of marijuana, despite denying it on his firearms purchasing forms.     

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Meriweather was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment and must serve a one-year term of supervised release following the term of imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.   

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and Patrick Greenwood and was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and Fort Dodge Police Department.  

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

The case file number is 23-CR-03038.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.