Sioux City, Iowa — A Le Mars felon who was found in possession of a loaded gun has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison.
According to the United States’ Attorney’s Office, 39-year-old Joshua Jacobs of LeMars received the prison term after a September guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Jacobs had previously been convicted of felony drug crimes, which made it illegal for him to possess a gun.
Evidence at Jacobs’ detention, change of plea, and sentencing hearings revealed that on October 15, 2019, officers of the Sioux City Police Department conducting surveillance on a home observed a vehicle not registered to Jacobs leaving the residence. Due to a malfunctioning license plate light, officers initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle. The vehicle did not immediately stop and “slow rolled” for a distance before coming to a stop. Immediately upon stopping the vehicle, Jacobs exited the driver’s seat. Due to this unusual behavior, Jacobs was placed in handcuffs. A female passenger in the vehicle was observed to be bleeding from her hand and to have a white powder on her shirt. Officers also observed what appeared to be a broken methamphetamine pipe on the passenger’s side floor.
Due to those items, the US Attorney’s office says officers conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle. On the passenger’s side, officers located a digital scale, broken glass, and a baggie that was found to contain approximately four grams of methamphetamine. In the center console, officers found a black bag, which contained a number of small baggies of a white powder and crystalline substance that appeared to be methamphetamine. Jacobs stated that the substance in the black bag was not methamphetamine but was MSM.
In a spare tire well in the trunk of the vehicle, officers located a loaded .40 caliber Springfield XD handgun, which was later found to have been stolen. The 12-round magazine contained 11 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. Jacobs initially denied having any knowledge of the firearm; however, in a subsequent interview, he admitted that the firearm had been in his possession and he knew that it had been stolen.
Jacobs was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 41 months in prison. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
