Marion Meth User Sentenced to Maximum Sentence in Federal Prison for Possessing Guns

A Cedar Rapids man, responsible for possessing nine guns while using drugs, was sentenced October 9, 2019, to 120 months in prison.

Logan Gerber, age 30, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison sentence after a May 6, 2019 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a drug user.

Information disclosed at sentencing and at his plea hearing showed that on June 9, 2018, Gerber was stopped by Cedar Rapids police officers for driving his grandparent’s Mustang without their consent.  Officers found Gerber had a loaded Glock 9mm firearm in his waistband.  Gerber was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time.  Officers also searched another car Gerber was driving prior to taking his grandparent’s car.  They located additional guns including a sawed-offed shotgun, a large amount of ammunition, extended magazines, tactical vests, and zip ties.  Gerber was later released.  In October 2018, Gerber was once again stopped by Cedar Rapids police officers.  In his vehicle, officers located a nine-inch knife within Gerber’s reach, marijuana, and another firearm. In total, Gerber was found responsible for unlawfully possessing nine guns. 

Gerber was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Gerber was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.  He was ordered to make payment of $100 to the special assessment fund.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery.  This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) through a cooperative effort of the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Marion Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.  PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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

The case file number is 19-CR-00024.

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