Omaha Police Helicopter Assists in Firearms Investigation, Leading to 48-Month Prison Sentence

Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jefferey Edwards, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for possessing a firearm as a felon. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Edwards to imprisonment for 48 months. Upon release from prison, Edwards will be required to complete a 3-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. 

On October 4, 2022, Able One, an Omaha Police helicopter, observed the occupants of a Dodge Charger meet with the occupants of a white Mazda SUV. Edwards was one of three occupants of the Charger, which was stopped by police. Shortly thereafter, Able One observed the Mazda traveling offroad along a tree line behind an address on North 26th Street in Omaha. Officers investigated the vacant lot behind that address and found an iPhone in a case lying in the grass. The iPhone case held identification for one of the two occupants of the Mazda, which was also later stopped by police.

Officers then investigated a red Chevy Tahoe in the vacant lot and observed a rifle case in the back seat and ammunition in plain view. The Tahoe was unsecured, and an officer opened the door and determined that the case was empty. While doing so, the officer found another firearm, a Glock handgun, on the front passenger side floorboard.

A resident of the home at the front of the vacant lot confirmed to officers that she lived there but did not own the firearms that were recovered. Meanwhile, Able One provided an aerial video to officers on the ground showing suspects appearing to hide items in the lot and then leaving in the white Mazda. Officers searched and found two more firearms under a plastic bin in the lot and observed another firearm (a Century Arms, Inc. Model M70AB2 rifle) in a white Malibu also parked in the lot. The owner of the Malibu disclaimed ownership of the firearms and allowed officers to search the car and recover the rifle. DNA testing of the rifle confirmed that Edwards was a contributor to the mixture of DNA on the rifle. The rifle, which was ordered forfeited, is an AK-47 style assault weapon capable of accepting large capacity magazines.

This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.