Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A Waterloo man has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Jimarus Westley Puckett, 38, received the sentence on November 17, 2025, following his guilty plea earlier this year to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
The incident occurred on July 23, 2023, when police officers stopped a car in Waterloo, Iowa. Puckett was found as a passenger in the vehicle. During a search of the car, officers discovered a rifle with a large capacity magazine in the back seat. Due to two previous felony convictions and a prior misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence, Puckett was barred from owning or possessing firearms.
Chief Judge C.J. Williams of the United States District Court in Cedar Rapids handed down the sentence of 72 months’ imprisonment and ordered that Puckett serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison term. There is no possibility of parole under the federal system.
"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," according to information released by authorities.
Puckett remains in custody with the United States Marshals Service until he is transferred to federal prison.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep. The investigation involved cooperation between the Waterloo Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
