Drug User in Possession of a Gun Sentenced to Federal Prison

A Waterloo marijuana user who possessed a gun and high-capacity magazine was sentenced yesterday to more than two years in federal prison.

Antonio Rodriquez Ross, age 24, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 24, 2018 guilty plea to being a drug user in possession of a firearm.

In a plea agreement, Ross admitted he possessed a gun while he was an unlawful user of marijuana.  He further admitted that at the time he possessed the gun, law enforcement was investigating him for his involvement in drug trafficking and use crimes.  Ross was also in possession of a high-capacity magazine capable of holding 30 rounds of ammunition.

Ross was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade.  Ross was sentenced to 32 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.

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.

Ross 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 Emily K. Nydle and investigated by Waterloo Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

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

The case file number is 18-Cr-2018.

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