Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A Marion resident, Brent Robinson, was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The sentencing followed an incident on March 19, 2025, where Robinson fled from Cedar Rapids police, leading officers on a chase.
According to the police, Robinson, 23, drove away at high speeds after officers attempted to stop his vehicle suspecting its involvement in an earlier theft. He ran several stop signs before crashing into a parked car. Robinson then fled on foot, ignoring officers' commands to stop, until he was eventually tackled and apprehended.
The vehicle search revealed stolen goods linked to the previous theft in the glovebox and a loaded .380 caliber handgun. Robinson admitted to handling the firearm, though he claimed it belonged to a friend. At the time, he was already a convicted felon with prior convictions for intimidation using a dangerous weapon and robbery.
The sentencing was conducted by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Alongside his prison term, Robinson will undergo three years of supervised release. "There is no parole in the federal system," it was noted, emphasizing the severity of federal sentencing consequences.
Robinson's case was included in Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a collaborative initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and promoting safer communities. The strategy of PSN focuses on building community trust, supporting violence prevention organizations, enforcing strategic priorities, and measuring outcomes.
This case was handled by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force, with Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt leading the prosecution. The task force includes personnel from the FBI and Cedar Rapids Police Department.
