Hawkeye Reporter

A man from Alta, Iowa, has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm. Taxavier Ford, 29, entered his plea on August 11, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. Ford was convicted of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Ford had previous convictions for possession of a narcotic drug in Indiana in 2017 and for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver as well as possession of a firearm by a felon in Buena Vista County, Iowa, in 2021. These convictions prohibit him from owning or possessing any firearms.

According to evidence presented at the plea hearing, law enforcement officers stopped Ford’s vehicle on March 14, 2025, in Storm Lake, Iowa. The stop was prompted by illegal window tinting that exceeded state limits. During the traffic stop, officers detected the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle. A search led officers to find a metal object in Ford’s waistband; he admitted it was a loaded firearm.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which brings together law enforcement and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence. The Department of Justice enhanced this program’s violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021 by focusing on trust-building within communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, prioritizing strategic enforcement actions, and evaluating outcomes.

Additionally, this prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), an initiative that uses resources across the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration and criminal organizations while aiming to protect communities from violent crime. Operation Take Back America coordinates efforts between programs like the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Sentencing for Ford will take place before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand after completion of a presentence report. Ford remains free on bond pending sentencing and faces up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and no more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

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