An Iowa City man, O’Sean Dentale Horton, 29, has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon. The sentence was handed down on June 26, 2025.
Court documents reveal that in December 2020, Horton was found with two loaded pistols, marijuana meant for distribution, and drug paraphernalia at his sister’s residence. Further incidents include surveillance footage from May 2023 showing Horton shooting multiple times at another person in a Coralville apartment complex parking lot, leaving behind .40 caliber shell casings. At the time of these offenses, Horton was on probation in the Iowa District Court for Johnson County for failing to affix a drug tax stamp.
Following his imprisonment, Horton will undergo three years of supervised release as there is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa announced the sentencing. The investigation involved multiple agencies: the Iowa City Police Department, University of Iowa Police Department, Johnson County Drug Task Force, Johnson County Special Emergency Response Team, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement and communities. The program emphasizes fostering community trust and legitimacy, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
