A Cedar Rapids woman has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for illegally possessing a stolen firearm. Daisha Rae Bradshaw, 33, pleaded guilty on September 12, 2025, to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Bradshaw admitted to possessing the gun on May 16, 2025. During a traffic stop that day, police found a stolen gun and methamphetamine in her purse. Bradshaw was not allowed to have firearms due to felony convictions from 2017 and 2018. Her criminal record includes convictions for assaulting police officers, domestic abuse assault, felony theft, and multiple incidents of eluding law enforcement. In these cases, she led officers on high-speed chases that exceeded speed limits by over 25 mph, drove the wrong way on an exit ramp off Interstate 380, and caused vehicle collisions.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Bradshaw in Cedar Rapids to 78 months in prison and ordered her to serve three years of supervised release after completing her sentence. There is no parole in the federal system. Judge Strand commented on Bradshaw’s criminal history during sentencing: “relentless and obnoxious” and added “it was amazing she hasn’t killed somebody.”
The 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 Department of Justice enhanced PSN with new strategies starting May 26, 2021, focusing on building trust within communities, supporting organizations that prevent violence, setting targeted enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
This prosecution is also part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide effort by the Department of Justice targeting illegal immigration as well as transnational criminal organizations involved in violent crime.
Bradshaw remains in custody with the United States Marshal until she is transferred to federal prison.
Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams prosecuted the case following an investigation by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
