Convicted for the Third Time in Federal Court
A convicted felon who possessed a gun and fled from police officers, who eventually used a Taser on him, was sentenced today to more than 11 years in federal prison.
Ivan Clark, age 39, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a Jan. 11, 2018, guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Information at sentencing showed that Clark’s wife called the police on Oct. 17, 2017. Police responded to Clark’s home, but Clark had already left the home and was in a car. Clark drove away from the officers, who pursued him in a marked squad car with top lights on. Clark drove at speeds approaching 50 mph in a residential area, before driving back to his home with officers still in pursuit. He then tried to get back into his house, but was not able to. Clark resisted arrest and officers eventually had to use a Taser on him. Clark’s blood alcohol level at the time was.091.
In sentencing Clark, the District Court Judge noted that this was Clark’s third conviction in federal court. He had previously been convicted of drug trafficking crimes in Illinois and Iowa federal courts. The judge also noted Clark’s lengthy history of ignoring the law and assaultive behavior, including domestic assault. The judge found Clark was a danger to the community and at high-risk to commit more crimes in the future.
Clark was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Clark was sentenced to 137 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Clark is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
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.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the 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 17-cr-89.
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
