A Mexican national, Julio Parra-Moralez, has been sentenced to over two years in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm after reentering the United States unlawfully. Parra-Moralez, aged 41 and residing in Waterloo, Iowa, pleaded guilty on August 15, 2024, to charges of illegal reentry following a felony conviction and possession of a firearm by an alien.
According to a plea agreement, Parra-Moralez admitted he had previously been deported from the U.S. and returned without permission. His deportation occurred in September 2010 after a forgery conviction in September 2002. Immigration officials discovered his illegal return on February 18, 2024, at Black Hawk County Jail following his arrest on state charges. He was later convicted of methamphetamine possession on April 1, 2024.
Parra-Moralez also acknowledged possessing a firearm illegally in April 2023 while present unlawfully in the U.S. During an April traffic stop on I-380 in Black Hawk County, authorities found a Smith & Wesson .38 Special with an obliterated serial number containing his DNA.
Sentenced by Judge Leonard T. Strand in Cedar Rapids, Parra-Moralez received a term of imprisonment lasting 33 months followed by three years of supervised release; federal parole is not available.
He remains under the custody of the United States Marshal pending transfer to federal prison facilities.
The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt with investigations conducted by several agencies including the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives among others.
This case aligns with Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aiming to reduce violent crime through community collaboration and strategic law enforcement initiatives launched as part of the Department's enhanced strategy against violence announced on May 26, 2021.