Federal judge sentences Cedar Rapids man to 14 years on firearms charges

CEDAR RAPIDS - A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a Cedar Rapids man, who illegally had multiple firearms as a felon, to 14 years in prison.

Christopher McGee, 22, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in August to two counts of possessing a firearm as a felon. During the plea hearing, McGee admitted to having two firearms after he was convicted in 2014.

Court documents show one of the firearms was recovered from an attempted robbery on March 21. The gun from that case had McGee's fingerprints on the magazine. Another semi-automatic pistol with a high capacity magazine was found on McGee after he led police on a high-speed chase on May 20.

Evidence presented during the hearing showed McGee had at least three firearms and that one firearm was used in connection with a felony offense of assault while displaying a dangerous weapon.

U.S. District Judge Leonard T. Strand cited McGee's history of weapons offenses and of eluding police as factors in his ruling. He also ordered McGee to serve a two-year term of supervised release following his prison term.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Narayan and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Safe Streets Task Force. 

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