Hancock County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of More than 25 Stolen Firearms and a Pipe Bomb

A man who was found with more than 25 stolen firearms and explosives was sentenced July 31, 2023, to 2 years in federal prison.

Tommy Gretillat, age 44, from Corwith, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 5, 2024, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

Evidence in the case revealed that when Hancock County Sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant at Gretillat's residence related to an investigation into multiple burglaries in the Humboldt County area, he was found to have more than 25 stolen firearms, explosives or destructive devices, a pipe-bomb, as well as other stolen property.

Gretillat's criminal history includes several burglary convictions and a previous conviction for possession of a firearm by a felon, all of which precluded his lawful possession of firearms.

Gretillat was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 24 months' imprisonment. He must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Gretillat is being held in the United States Marshal's custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by Hancock County Sheriff's Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-3004.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.