Led Police on a Foot Chase Through Backyards
A convicted felon who stole a firearm from a vehicle and led police officers on a foot chase through residential backyards was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison.
Friday Gardner, age 20, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a Sept. 28, 2017, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. At the guilty plea, Gardner admitted he illegally possessed a loaded Taurus PT 740 handgun in April and May of 2017.
Information at the sentencing hearing showed that Gardner stole the gun from a car in Dubuque in April 2017. He was then caught in May 2017 after leading Dubuque police officers on a foot chase through residential backyards. Gardner threw the gun on the ground during the chase, but police found it that day. Gardner was a convicted felon with an active warrant out of Cook County, Illinois.
Gardner was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Gardner was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment and 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), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Gardner 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 Lyndie M. Freeman and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Guns, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17_CR-1035.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
