Sioux City Man with Prior Drug and Burglary Convictions Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Gun

A convicted felon who possessed a gun while also using drugs was sentenced to more than two years in federal prison.

Dexter Howard, age 33, received the prison term after a June 18, 2021, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon and a drug user.

Evidence presented at the detention, change of plea, and sentencing hearings in this case revealed that defendant was a felon and a drug user.  The gun he was in possession of had the manufacturer’s serial number removed.  His unlawful possession of a firearm was discovered when a video emerged showing him brandishing a firearm inside his car while driving near a crime scene police were actively investigating.

Howard was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Howard was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  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.

The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

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

The case file number is 21-CR-4011.

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