Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
Trajuan Laroy West, a 28-year-old from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been sentenced to nine years and four months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. This follows his guilty plea on November 14, 2024, to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
West's legal troubles began on January 3, 2024, when he was stopped by Iowa State Patrol Troopers for speeding. During the stop, authorities found marijuana and a firearm in his vehicle. Notably, the gun's slide had been reported as stolen from Arkansas. West had been barred from possessing firearms due to his previous convictions, including three felony drug-related offenses and a misdemeanor for domestic violence.
United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams handed down the sentence in Cedar Rapids, mandating a 112-month prison term followed by a three-year supervised release. It is noted that there is no provision for parole in the federal system.
West's conviction is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aiming to reduce violent crime and gun violence by collaborating across law enforcement levels and engaging community participation. The Department of Justice launched an enhanced violent crime reduction plan under PSN on May 26, 2021. This strategy lays emphasis on community trust, strategic enforcement, and measuring outcomes.
Currently, West is in the custody of the United States Marshals Service awaiting transport to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep. The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Iowa State Patrol, Waterloo Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
