Sioux City, Iowa — A Hartley man has pleaded guilty to a federal charge and could face ten years in federal prison.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office in Sioux City, 34-year-old Joe Ripka of Hartley pleaded guilty on Monday, August 1, 2022, to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. They tell us Ripka was previously convicted of Failure to Affix Drug Stamp in Emmet County in 2017, and that conviction prohibited him from possessing a firearm.
The US Attorney’s office tells us evidence at the plea hearing showed that on December 22, 2021, law enforcement observed the vehicle Ripka was driving without any license plates. During the stop, they say Ripka displayed signs of impairment. They tell us a K9 was deployed on the exterior of the car and indicated the presence of controlled substances from within, at which time Ripka stated there was a firearm in the car and acknowledged he was a felon. Law enforcement uncovered a .380 handgun in the driver’s door. Later, when the officer’s vehicle was inspected near where Ripka had been seated on December 22, 2021, the arresting officer located a pack of cigarettes wedged between the seats which contained one gram of methamphetamine.
They tell us that sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Ripka remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
