A federal jury in Sioux City has convicted Cedrinique Coleman, 32, of Chicago, Illinois, on multiple charges related to illegal firearm purchases. The verdict was delivered after a four-day trial and about four hours of jury deliberation.
Coleman was found guilty of four counts of making false statements during firearm purchases and two counts of straw purchasing—buying firearms for individuals prohibited from owning them. She was acquitted on two additional counts of making false statements.
According to evidence presented at trial, Coleman bought seven firearms between April 2020 and July 2023. Law enforcement became aware of her activities when some of these weapons were recovered at crime scenes both in Iowa and other states. Two Glock 19 handguns purchased by Coleman had been converted into machine guns; one was found with a prohibited person in Chicago, while the other was used in the shooting of a police officer in Minneapolis. Another handgun—a Glock 22—was reported stolen by Coleman herself, which prosecutors described as a tactic sometimes used by straw purchasers to distance themselves from crimes involving the weapon.
On February 21, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Coleman’s apartment and found another handgun in possession of her boyfriend. He is legally barred from owning firearms due to being an illegal drug user and having a domestic abuse conviction from 2020 involving Coleman as the victim. At the time, he was also out on bond for an attempted murder indictment in Blackhawk County. Despite knowing about his status as a prohibited person, evidence showed that Coleman continued to buy firearms for him at his request or demand; photos and text messages recovered from her cell phone supported this claim.
“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,” according to information provided about PSN initiatives. “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.”
Sentencing will take place before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand after completion of a presentence report. Coleman remains free on bond pending sentencing. She faces up to 15 years in prison, fines up to $250,000, and up to three years supervised release following imprisonment; there is no parole available under federal law.
