Cedar Rapids man faces up to 20 years for illegally possessing firearms as felon

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man, who was armed and attempted to hold a woman at his used appliance business in Marion last year, was convicted Tuesday in federal court for illegally possessing firearms.

A jury deliberated about 35 minutes before finding Cordell Maleec Mayfield, 28, guilty of one count each of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

Mayfield, who represented himself in U.S. District Court, faces up to 20 years in federal prison and three years of supervised release. He has previous convictions for burglary, eluding and assault.

U.S. District Chief Judge C.J. Williams will set sentencing for Mayfield after a presentence report is completed.

Mayfield was first charged with tampering with a witness and domestic abuse assault on pregnant person - strangulation for this incident in Linn County District Court last year. Those charges were dismissed after he was indicted in federal court to allow those to move forward.

According to evidence at trial, the woman’s mother thought her daughter, who was pregnant, was being held by Mayfield at his business inside a commercial building at 4995 Eighth Ave. in Marion, and asked police to conduct a welfare check. Officers initially saw Mayfield with a weapon in his hand inside the business but when he and the woman came out of the building, he denied having a gun.

A complaint filed in the federal case stated officers found a 9 mm handgun loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition. The serial number appeared to be obliterated, usually done to conceal stolen weapons, and it was red and blue, which officers identified as the gun Mayfield was holding when they saw him inside the building.

Evidence at trial also showed that a few months before the firearm incident, Mayfield stated in a recording that he preferred firearms with obliterated serial numbers.

The gun was found in the unit next to Mayfield’s appliance repair business inside the commercial building, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in Linn County District Court. It was wrapped in a T-shirt.

The woman told police she had come to the business to get her cat and had no intention to stay with Mayfield, according to the state warrant affidavit. The woman indicated she was scared of Mayfield and his associates.

According to the state complaint, Mayfield was accused of assaulting the woman by strangling her. He assaulted her in an attempt to make her testify falsely in a case in which Mayfield was charged with felon in possession of a firearm. He also threatened to kill her mother, the complaint stated.

The federal case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Reinert and Ashley Corkery and was investigated by the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Marion and Cedar Rapids police departments; and Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

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