Jury Convicts Cedar Rapids Felon for Possessing a Gun

A man who possessed a firearm as a felon was convicted by a jury today after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

David Rafael Walker, age 37, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. The verdict was returned this afternoon following about two hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that on December 14, 2021, at an apartment complex in Cedar Rapids, Walker shot at a woman and her young daughter. Three days later, Walker was driving around Cedar Rapids when he became involved in another shooting. When law enforcement officers located Walker and the car he had been driving, Walker fled. In the car, under Walker's seat, officers found a firearm and a bag of marijuana. Walker's DNA was on the firearm. Walker had multiple prior felony convictions, including for delivery of heroin and eluding.

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.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Walker remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Walker faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Nydle, Devra Hake, and Dan Tvedt, and it was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Marion Police Department.

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

The case file number is 23-CR-65.

Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.