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Press Release

Waterloo Drug User Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing an Assault Rifle

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Iowa
Lied About Drug Use When He Purchased the Gun

A man who possessed an assault rifle while unlawfully using marijuana was sentenced today to seven months in federal prison. Daulton Graff, age 20, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 29, 2018, guilty plea to one count of being an unlawful user of marijuana in possession of a firearm.

Information at sentencing showed that Graff purchased an AR-15 assault rifle from a store in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  During the purchase, Graff lied on an ATF form, committing perjury by claiming he was not a drug user.  Law enforcement later searched Graff’s apartment, finding the assault rifle in Graff’s bedroom.  The gun was loaded.  Officers also found 25 grams of marijuana in the bedroom. 

After being arrested, Graff was released pending trial.  However, while on release, he failed to attend required substance abuse treatment appointments and tested positive for using marijuana.  The Court revoked his release and ordered him detained pending today’s sentencing hearing. 

Graff was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C. J. Williams.  Graff was sentenced to seven 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.  Graff is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Waterloo Police Department.

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

The case file number is 18-CR-2039.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.

Updated April 12, 2019

Topics
Firearms Offenses
Project Safe Neighborhoods