Marion Man Sentenced On Plea Of Guilty To Possessing Firearms And Ammunition As An Unlawful Drug User

A man who possessed more than twenty firearms, including at least six military style assault rifles; thousands of rounds ammunition; and about 90 high capacity magazines, as an unlawful user of marijuana, was sentenced today to serve nearly four years in federal prison.

Clint Allen Hughes, 33, from 1165 4th Avenue, Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 17, 2014, guilty plea to being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Evidence presented at sentencing today showed the firearms and ammunition were seized following a search Hughes’s apartment by the Marion, Iowa, Police Department in August 2013.  At that time, Hughes was determined to be an unlawful user of marijuana. 

Hughes was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade.  Hughes was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment.  A special assessment of $100 was imposed.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

In sentencing Hughes, Judge Reade noted Hughes had a 20 year history of substance abuse and expressed displeasure that he had violated pretrial supervision by repeatedly testing positive for marijuana and falsely denying he continued to use the drug.  Judge Reade also expressed concern about statements Hughes made to a Marion Police Sergeant on the day his apartment was searched, suggesting he was a survivalist and had another hidden location where he stored more guns.

Hughes 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 U.S. Attorney Richard L. Murphy and investigated by the Marion Police Dept. and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. 

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 
The case file number is 14-CR-00010-LRR.