A Marion man has been sentenced to over three years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. James Carl Morgan, 42, pleaded guilty on June 26, 2024, to the charge of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Morgan admitted during his plea that he knowingly possessed a Canik TP9 SF pistol on June 6, 2023. Police officers had gone to a Cedar Rapids motel to arrest him on an outstanding warrant related to a similar offense from 2022. When confronted by officers at the motel room door, Morgan attempted to escape through a window but returned inside when faced with a police dog. Officers later found the loaded handgun with an extended magazine near the window.
United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Morgan in Cedar Rapids to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In the federal system, parole is not available.
Morgan remains in custody under the United States Marshal's supervision until he is transferred to federal prison.
Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The program emphasizes building trust within communities, supporting preventive community-based organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes since its strategy enhancement on May 26, 2021.