Was Shot During a Gun Fight on the Streets of Waterloo
A man who was shot during an exchange of gunfire was sentenced today to more than eight years in federal prison.
Chad Lee, age 20, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 3, 2022, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
In a plea agreement, Lee admitted that, on Aug. 26, 2020, he knowingly possessed a firearm, a Springfield XD 9mm handgun, as a prohibited person. Lee was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was previously convicted on July 2, 2020, of Interference Displaying a Firearm, in the Iowa District Court for Black Hawk County, a felony. On Aug. 2, 2020, Waterloo police officers responded to a call of shots fired. Upon responding, officers learned that multiple individuals were involved in an altercation wherein multiple people exchanged gunfire. Officers located between 20 to 30 shell casings but no firearms. Officers also learned that Lee had just been admitted at a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound. Surveillance video of the shooting showed Lee exchanging gunfire with another group of individuals. On Aug. 26, 2020, Waterloo police officers executed a search warrant at Lee’s residence and found the Springfield handgun with an extended magazine under his pillow. The Springfield had been reported stolen in February 2020. Lee admitted he was one of the shooters on August 2 but stated he used a Beretta handgun which he dropped after being shot. Lee said he never found the Beretta and had just acquired the Springfield handgun and used it for protection.
Lee was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Lee was sentenced to 100 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.
Lee 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 Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Violent Crime Apprehension Team (VCAT) of the Waterloo Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-2056.
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Source: USAO - Iowa, Northern
