Cedar Rapids felon sentenced to over 6 years for possessing guns as drug user

CEDAR RAPIDS - A Cedar Rapids man, who has previous convictions for burglary and kidnapping, was sentenced this week more than six years in federal prison for repeatedly obtaining firearms while also using drugs.

George R. Bounds, 49, pleaded guilty last December to one count each of possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a firearm by a felon and a drug user.

Evidence showed that Bounds has previous convictions for burglary, kidnapping, and aggravated assault in Arizona in 1996. Between March 2018 and February 2019, Bounds possessed five different firearms on four separate occasions in this offense.

Bounds repeatedly obtained firearms after authorities had seized firearms from him, according to court documents. Testing showed his DNA was on all five firearms. Two of the firearms had altered or obliterated serial numbers.

U.S. District Judge C.J. Williams on Tuesday sentenced Bounds to 80 months in prison. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.

Bounds is being held by the U.S. Marshals Service until he can be taken to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force.

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