“Violent Menace” in Cedar Rapids Sentenced to Nearly a Decade in Prison

A man with multiple prior convictions for domestic violence was sentenced today to more than nine years in federal prison. 

Nyle Brocks, age 28, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea to possessing a firearm after being convicted of domestic violence.  Statements at sentencing indicated that Brocks participated in stealing the gun prior to his unlawful possession of it and also violently resisted arrest. 

At sentencing, the judge noted that Brocks had 16 prior state court convictions for violent offenses and was both a “violent menace” and an “extreme danger.”  The judge further found that “every day Brocks was out of circulation was a slightly safer day for society in Cedar Rapids.”  

Brocks was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Brocks was sentenced to 115 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Brocks 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 prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jake Schunk and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

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

The case file number is 20-CR-00068-CJW-MAR.

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