U.S. Attorney Timothy Duax | U.S. Department of Justice
A Cedar Rapids man was found guilty of possessing a firearm as a felon after a three-day trial in federal court. David Rafael Walker, 37, was convicted on one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. The jury reached its verdict after about two hours of deliberation.
The trial revealed that on December 14, 2021, Walker fired shots at a woman and her young daughter at an apartment complex in Cedar Rapids. Three days later, he was involved in another shooting incident while driving around the city. When law enforcement located Walker and his vehicle, he attempted to flee. Officers discovered a firearm and marijuana under his seat in the car, with DNA evidence linking him to the weapon. Walker has previous felony convictions for delivery of heroin and eluding.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence by collaborating with law enforcement and communities. The Department launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021, focusing on building community trust, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
Walker will be sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams after the preparation of a presentence report. He remains in custody pending sentencing and faces up to 10 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Nydle, Devra Hake, and Dan Tvedt are prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force with members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cedar Rapids Police Department, and Marion Police Department.
