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Press Release

Waterloo Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Gun

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Iowa
Three-time felon twice displayed a gun in threatening manner

A Waterloo man who displayed a firearm at others in a threatening manner was sentenced on October 28, 2024, to eight years in federal prison.  

Rodney Lavern Thein, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 30, 2024 guilty plea to one count of possession of firearms by a felon.            

Evidence disclosed at sentencing showed that, on July 13 and 14, 2023, Thein displayed a firearm in a threatening manner at people during confrontations over a trailer at Thein’s residence in Waterloo.  During the investigation into the confrontations, law enforcement officers searched Thein’s residence, and seized nine firearms.  Six of the firearms were loaded, and at least one of the firearms had been reported stolen.  At the time, Thein was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had previously been convicted of three felony offenses.

Thein was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Thein was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment, and he must serve a three‑year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Thein 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 Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office; and the Waterloo Police Department.  

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

The case file number is 23‑CR‑02074.

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Updated October 31, 2024

Topics
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Firearms Offenses