Davenport Man Sentenced to 137 Months in Federal Prison for Felon in Possession of a Firearm

DAVENPORT, Iowa - A Davenport man was sentenced on Wednesday, July 10, 2024 to 137 months in federal prison, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Sylvester George Taylor Staples, 31, was found in possession of a firearm and 9.24 grams of cocaine base. Staples had multiple prior felony convictions, including a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. At sentencing, the Court also found Staples violated the terms of his federal supervised release and ordered to serve an additional 24 months of imprisonment.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Staples will be required to serve 3 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.

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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.