Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A Cedar Rapids man has pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing a firearm as a felon. Bruce Jovon Williams, 34, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to evidence presented at an earlier hearing, on August 28, 2024, law enforcement responded to a report from a woman who said Williams had physically assaulted her and struck her with a gun. Officers located Williams, who then fled into the backyard of a nearby property and hid in a small garage. He refused to come out and was apprehended by a police K9 unit. Officers found a firearm in the backyard near the garage. Williams has two previous felony convictions for second-degree theft.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through cooperation between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department of Justice strengthened its PSN strategy in May 2021 with an emphasis on building community trust, supporting violence prevention organizations, focusing enforcement efforts strategically, and measuring outcomes.
Williams will be sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams after completion of a presentence report. He remains in custody pending sentencing and faces up to 15 years in prison without parole, along with the possibility of a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake is prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, which includes members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cedar Rapids Police Department, and Marion Police Department.
