Sioux City Man Who Attempted to Flee Traffic Stop Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Firearm

A Sioux City man who tried to run from law enforcement, but didn't get far, was sentenced today to more than 10 years in federal prison.

Jeremy Martin, age 45, originally from El Paso, Texas, received the prison term after a March 11, 2024, guilty plea to felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence in the case revealed that on January 26, 2023, Sioux City Police attempted to stop the vehicle Martin was operating for speeding. Martin attempted to flee, getting the vehicle high centered and stuck in snow. Martin then fled on foot but was promptly apprehended by officers from the Sioux City Police Department. Martin admitted to the arresting officer to having a firearm in his jacket, a box of ammunition containing 100 rounds, that had been stolen, a syringe, scale and a baggie that contained more than 3 grams of methamphetamine.

Martin's criminal history included a felony, which prohibited him from legally possessing firearms.

Martin was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 126 months' imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-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.

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

The case was investigated by Sioux City, Iowa Police Department 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 23-4017.

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