Omaha Man Sentenced for Felon in Possession of a Firearm Offense

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa - On October 24, 2018, Christopher Coleman, age 34, of Omaha, Neb., appeared before United States District Court Senior Judge James E. Gritzner and was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment for a felon in possession of a firearm charge announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Coleman was ordered to serve three years of supervised release to follow his prison term.

Coleman pleaded guilty to the charge on May 24, 2018. On December 14, 2017, Harrah’s Casino Security in Council Bluffs responded to an SUV that was stopped on a roadway on casino property. Agents approached the SUV and found it was occupied by two individuals, Coleman and a female juvenile. It was determined the juvenile had been reported as a runaway from Omaha, resulting in her being taken into protective custody. The juvenile advised law enforcement there was a handgun in the SUV and Coleman had hidden it before the officers arrived. A routine criminal history check confirmed Coleman was prohibited from possessing a firearm based on a 2013 felony conviction. Law enforcement re-contacted Coleman and located a HiPoint 9 mm handgun in the SUV.

This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, Iowa State Patrol, Council Bluffs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.