Hawkeye Reporter

A federal jury in Sioux City has convicted Cedrinique Coleman, 32, of Chicago, Illinois, on multiple counts related to illegal firearm purchases. After a four-day trial, the jury found Coleman guilty of four counts of making false statements during firearm purchases and two counts of straw purchasing—buying firearms for people prohibited from owning them. She was acquitted on two additional counts of making false statements. The verdict came after about four hours of deliberation.

Evidence presented at trial indicated that between April 2020 and July 2023, Coleman bought seven firearms. Law enforcement became aware of her activities when several of these guns were later found at crime scenes in Iowa and other states. Two Glock 19 handguns purchased by Coleman had been converted into machine guns; one was recovered from a prohibited person in Chicago, while the other was used in the shooting of a police officer in Minneapolis. Another handgun—a Glock 22—was reported stolen by Coleman herself, which authorities described as a common tactic to distance straw purchasers from weapons if they are later connected to crimes.

On February 21, 2024, law enforcement found another handgun in Coleman's apartment during a search warrant execution. The weapon was in the possession of Coleman's boyfriend, who is legally barred from owning firearms due to his status as an illegal drug user and domestic abuser. Coleman was aware he could not possess firearms because she had previously been the victim in his domestic abuse conviction from 2020. At the time law enforcement searched her apartment, her boyfriend was also out on bond for an attempted murder indictment from Blackhawk County.

Photos and text messages recovered from Coleman's phone showed she communicated with her boyfriend before and during several gun purchases. Evidence indicated she bought firearms at his request or demand.

"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," according to officials involved in the prosecution. "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."

Coleman will be sentenced by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand after completion of a presentence report. She remains free on bond pending sentencing. She faces up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years supervised release after any imprisonment; there is no parole under federal law.