Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A Cedar Rapids woman with a history of felony convictions has been sentenced to over six years in federal prison for illegally possessing a stolen firearm.
Daisha Rae Bradshaw, 33, pleaded guilty on September 12, 2025, to possession of a firearm by a felon. According to her plea agreement, Bradshaw admitted that on May 16, 2025, police found a stolen gun and methamphetamine in her purse during a traffic stop. Due to prior felony convictions in 2017 and 2018, she was prohibited from owning firearms.
Bradshaw’s criminal record includes previous offenses such as assaulting police officers, domestic abuse assault, felony theft, and multiple incidents of eluding law enforcement. In several cases of fleeing police, she drove at speeds exceeding the posted limit by more than 25 miles per hour and once traveled the wrong way on an Interstate 380 exit ramp before ending in vehicle collisions.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Bradshaw to 78 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole available in the federal system. During sentencing, Judge Strand stated that Bradshaw’s criminal history was “relentless and obnoxious” and added “it was amazing she hasn’t killed somebody.”
The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative involving collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence across the United States. The Department of Justice launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021, which focuses on building trust within communities and supporting organizations that work to prevent violence.
Additionally, this prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a national effort led by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling transnational criminal organizations.
Bradshaw will remain in U.S. Marshal custody until she is transferred to a federal facility.
Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams prosecuted the case with investigative support from the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
