An individual from Bennett, Iowa, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for firearm possession while being an unlawful user of methamphetamine and marijuana. Tyler Dunlap, 33, pleaded guilty on January 3, 2025, to possessing a sawed-off shotgun as an unlawful user of controlled substances.
According to a plea agreement, Dunlap was involved in a verbal altercation on October 30, 2023. After the dispute, he was seen with a shotgun by the other party who then alerted law enforcement. When deputies arrived at the scene, they heard Dunlap fire the weapon from inside his home. He was unaware that officers were present at that time. Upon contact by an officer, Dunlap exited the residence unarmed. Inside the house, authorities discovered the shotgun alongside drug paraphernalia and evidence of drug use.
Dunlap’s sentence was handed down by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams in Cedar Rapids. The sentence includes 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release without parole options due to federal regulations.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The initiative emphasizes trust-building within communities and strategic enforcement actions.
The Department launched an enhanced strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021, focusing on community trust and support for violence prevention organizations while setting targeted enforcement priorities.
Currently held in U.S. Marshal’s custody pending transfer to federal prison, Dunlap’s case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt with investigations conducted by the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office and Tipton Police Department.
