A man with a prior felony and misdemeanor domestic abuse conviction was sentenced yesterday to nearly three years in federal prison.
Willie Hampton, age 56, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after entering a guilty plea on Dec. 2, 2015, to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. He was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had a previous felony drug conviction and a misdemeanor domestic abuse assault conviction.
At the guilty plea, Hampton admitted he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of the two convictions. A.22 caliber revolver was found in his home after the police was alerted to its presence. At sentencing, it was pointed out that Hampton had criminal convictions covering three decades, including: drug offenses; assaults; interference with official acts; OWIs; driving while suspended/revoked/ barred; criminal mischief; and, false reporting. The court noted Hampton’s criminal history plus his threatening and aggressive manner toward others then sentenced him to the maximum allowed within the sentencing range.
Hampton was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. He was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Hampton 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 Steve Young and investigated by Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshal Service, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 14-CR-104.
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
