Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition
Chance Rebel Nielsen, 23, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on January 31, 2023, to being a prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition. Nielsen was previously convicted of felony Going Armed with Intent, in the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County, on October 15, 2021. This conviction prohibits a person from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Evidence at the plea hearing showed that on August 29, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which defendant was a passenger. During the stop, a Glock 9mm Luger, .45 ACP, and ammunition were found. Further investigation showed that, on August 23, 2022, defendant was at Scheels in Sioux City where he was observed with a Glock 9mm in his waistband. Defendant purchased ammunition from Scheels which matched the ammunition found in the vehicle. Present in cell phone evidence seized in the investigation was a video showing defendant shooting a firearm at a gun range, and text messages discussing buying and selling firearms.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Nielsen remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Nielsen faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, Le Mars Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-4077. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
