Oelwein Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing 20 Guns

A felon who possessed 20 firearms illegally was sentenced on August 11, 2026, to 12 months and one day in federal prison. Timothy Parrish, age 65, from Oelwein, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 4, 2026, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

Information at sentencing showed that, in August 2025, Parrish retrieved 20 firearms from a residence and began to drive home with them. Law enforcement officers initiated a traffic stop on Parrish's vehicle, and officers found the guns. Parrish is a felon with convictions in state court for corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant, false imprisonment, and driving under the influence. Parrish also has a prior conviction for felon in possession of a firearm.

Parrish was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Parrish was sentenced to 12 months and one day imprisonment and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

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.

Parrish was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on Monday, August 31, 2026.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Oelwein Police Department. 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 26-CR-2005. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.