A La Motte, Iowa man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges related to sending threatening text messages and possessing an unregistered firearm. Steven Michael Conroy, 34, entered his plea on June 9, 2025, admitting to one count of possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce.
According to court documents, following a child support hearing on July 19, 2024, Conroy sent several threatening messages to his ex-girlfriend. In the texts, he wrote that he wanted to “pay the child support in lead and flesh,” told her that her “days are numbered,” and threatened to shoot her if he saw her again. He also sent a photograph of himself with a gun. Later that day, as he drove toward his ex-girlfriend’s home in Minnesota, Conroy sent additional messages stating he would be seeing her and her “bodyguard police officer very soon” and asked if the officer’s “plates are rated for level 4.”
On July 22, 2024, law enforcement officers searched Conroy’s residence in La Motte. During the search they found multiple firearms including a short-barreled rifle that was not properly registered. An unregistered homemade silencer was attached to the rifle.
Conroy was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams in Cedar Rapids to 60 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. 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.”
Conroy will remain in custody with the United States Marshals until transferred to federal prison.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Jackson County Sheriff’s Office; Iowa State Patrol; Sabula Police Department; and Winona County Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep.
