DAVENPORT, IA - On August 30, 2016, Eddie Jarell Byas, age 29, of Davenport, Iowa, was sentenced by District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 15 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty as a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Byas was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $100 towards the Crime Victims’ Fund. At sentencing, Byas was eligible for an enhanced sentence based on the district court’s finding he was an Armed Career Criminal as the result of two prior felony convictions for serious drug offenses and one prior conviction for a violent felony.
On September 16, 2015, officers with the Davenport Police Department conducted a search of Byas’ residence on West 14th Street in Davenport. Officers found and seized approximately 34.2 grams of marijuana, two digital scales, and a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm semiautomatic handgun. Byas pled guilty on January 22, 2016.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Davenport Police Department.