Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Firearm

A man who illegally possessed a firearm pled guilty March 24, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City.

Miguel Lopez, 31, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

At the plea hearing, Lopez admitted to possessing a 9mm pistol on August 7, 2025, in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Law enforcement located the firearm after they observed Lopez dumping it outside his car window during a traffic stop. Lopez has four prior drug-related felony convictions. As a felon, Lopez is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Lopez remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Lopez faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.plLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

The case file number is 25-CR-3045. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.