Mason City Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Firearm

Lance Kohler, age 46, from Mason City, Iowa, was sentenced September 13, 2024, to 6 years in federal prison after a May 6, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

At the guilty plea, Kohler admitted that on December 5, 2023, law enforcement responded to a rollover accident in Cerro Gordo County.  Kohler was the sole occupant of the vehicle.  Officers could see a firearm in plain view and a few hypodermic needles.  Law enforcement eventually seized firearm and approximately 13 grams of methamphetamine from the vehicle.  Kohler told the arresting officer he was “just” a user of methamphetamine, and initially denied owning the firearm.  During a subsequent interview with another officer, Kohler admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and the firearm.  Lab results later confirmed that defendant had methamphetamine and cocaine in his system at the time of the accident. 

Kohler was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 72 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Kohler is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons. 

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

The case file number is 24-3002.

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