Fourteenth Felony Conviction Lands Waterloo Man in Federal Prison

A man who possessed a firearm after having previously been convicted of thirteen other felony offenses was sentenced on February 27, 2026, to more than four years in federal prison.

Chad James Wolf, age 44, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 7, 2025, guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Court documents reflect that, in February 2025, Wolf was harassing an ex-girlfriend by showing up at her home, causing problems, refusing to leave, and repeatedly calling her. Law enforcement officers searched Wolf's home in Waterloo and found a gun he had stolen from the ex-girlfriend's house. Officers also found items consistent with drug distribution. Wolf had previously been convicted of twenty-five crimes, thirteen of which were felonies, including sexual abuse, going armed with intent, and failing to register as a sex offender three times.

Wolf was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Wolf was sentenced to 53 months' imprisonment. He 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 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.

Wolf is being held in the United States Marshal's custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Nagin.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 25-CR-02008-CJW-MAR.

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