Hawkeye Reporter

A Cedar Rapids man has pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing a firearm as a felon. Bruce Jovon Williams, 34, admitted to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

According to evidence presented at an earlier hearing, on August 28, 2024, law enforcement responded after a woman reported that Williams had physically assaulted her and struck her with a gun. When officers located Williams, he fled into a backyard and hid in a small garage. He refused to come out and was apprehended by a police K9. Officers found a firearm in the backyard near the garage. Williams has two prior felony convictions for second-degree theft.

"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."

Williams will be sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams after completion of a presentence report. He remains in custody pending sentencing. The maximum possible sentence is 15 years in prison without parole, up to $250,000 in fines, and three years of supervised release following imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force with members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cedar Rapids Police Department, and Marion Police Department.