Tama Man Who Purchased 8 Handguns While A Drug User Sentenced to Federal Prison

A man who unlawfully possessed firearms while using drugs was sentenced on January 28, 2020, to 18 months in federal prison. 

DeAngelio Noye, age 27, from Tama, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 9, 2019 guilty plea to unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.  Noye admitted to being a marijuana user when in possession of at least 8 firearms.

Noye purchased the firearms between August 2017 and September 2018.  Seven of the 8 firearms were 9mm pistols.  Information at sentencing indicated that juveniles possessed at least two of the firearms prior to Noye filing a police report indicating that the guns had been stolen.  Information at sentencing further showed that, at the time of a search of Noye’s residence, officers found a scale and baggies consistent with the unlawful distribution of drugs.          

Noye was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Noye was sentenced to 18 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.

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.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.  The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support its Project Guardian partners.  For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.

Noye was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on February 12, 2020. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jacob Schunk and investigated by the Marion Police Department. 

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

The case file number is 19-CR-078-CJW.

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