A Waterloo woman has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for purchasing firearms on behalf of a felon. LaDonna Henderson, 28, pleaded guilty earlier this year to eight counts of making false statements during the purchase of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
According to court documents, Henderson bought nine firearms and attempted to buy a tenth over six weeks in 2023. She made false claims about her drug use and the actual recipient of the firearms. The guns were given to her then-boyfriend, Christopher Hoover, who was prohibited from possessing them due to felony convictions and drug use. Authorities said Hoover trafficked some of these weapons.
Law enforcement recovered four firearms purchased by Henderson from felons or drug users. Hoover was later prosecuted for his involvement and received a sentence of 93 months in prison in September 2024. Four others were also sentenced for related offenses: Jayquine Steele received 57 months’ imprisonment; Jeremy Phillips was sentenced to 57 months; Patrelle Green-Bowman got 105 months; and Walter Smith received 37 months.
Chief Judge C.J. Williams handed down Henderson’s sentence—37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release—in Cedar Rapids federal court. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.
Henderson is currently out on bond but must report to the Bureau of Prisons at a date yet to be determined.
The investigation was led by a federal task force that included the Waterloo Police Department, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, and Cedar Falls Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist prosecuted the case.
The prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through cooperation between law enforcement agencies and community organizations nationwide. In May 2021, the Department launched an updated strategy focused on building trust within communities, supporting violence prevention groups, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and tracking outcomes through measurable results (https://www.justice.gov/psn).
“LaDonna Henderson … received the prison term after a February 10, 2025 guilty plea to eight counts of false statement during purchase of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance.”
“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.”
