Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A man from Alta, Iowa, has pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing a firearm. Taxavier Ford, 29, entered his plea on August 11, 2025, in Sioux City.
Ford was convicted of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. His prior convictions include possession of a narcotic drug in Indiana in 2017 and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver as well as possession of a firearm by a felon in Buena Vista County, Iowa, in 2021. These convictions make it illegal for him to possess any firearms.
During the plea hearing, evidence indicated that on March 14, 2025, law enforcement stopped Ford’s vehicle in Storm Lake due to illegal window tint. Officers determined the tint exceeded what is allowed under Iowa law. While checking the window tint, officers smelled marijuana coming from the car. A search led officers to find a metal object in Ford’s waistband; Ford admitted it was a loaded firearm.
"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."
The prosecution is also linked to Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), an initiative by the Department of Justice that uses resources such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) to combat illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime.
Sentencing will be scheduled before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand after completion of a presentence report. Ford remains free on bond pending sentencing. He faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine up to $250,000, and up to three years supervised release after imprisonment.
