An Omaha resident, Rafael Rashad Adams, 41, has been sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The sentencing took place on August 6, 2025.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing, Council Bluffs police officers found Adams passed out in the driver’s seat of a vehicle that had front-end damage near South Expressway and 30th Avenue in Council Bluffs in September 2024. A search of the vehicle led officers to seize about 31.5 grams of marijuana, scales, drug packaging materials, a stolen loaded nine-millimeter pistol, and a loaded 15-round magazine. Adams’ criminal record includes prior convictions for drug possession and distribution, unlawful possession of a firearm, and driving under the influence.
Following his prison term, Adams will serve three years of supervised release. Federal law does not allow parole.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal for the Southern District of Iowa announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that brings together law enforcement agencies and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence nationwide. In May 2021, the Department of Justice launched an updated violent crime reduction strategy focused on building community trust, supporting organizations that prevent violence before it starts, setting targeted enforcement priorities, and tracking results. More information about PSN can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psn.
