Shotgun, body armor found in felon’s Iowa City home

IOWA CITY - A complaint about a bat lead to the discovery of a firearm and body armor in a felon's home earlier this year.

On Feb. 3, Iowa City police officers responded to 1419 Plum St. for a civil complaint. Police said the occupant of the home, 36-year-old Jonathan Simpson, and his landlord had gotten into a disagreement about a bat issue. By the time officers arrived at the home, Simpson was gone, police said.

Simpson's girlfriend allowed officers to go into the basement and try to find the bat. Police said while they were in the home, they found a 12-gauge shotgun, ammunition and body armor in a bathroom closet. Simpson has felony convictions out of Michigan for drug-related offenses and cannot legally possess firearms, police said.

Officers got permission from Simpson's girlfriend to do a further search of the home. Police said they found several more shotgun shells in Simpson's bedroom.

Simpson admitted the gun belonged to him, but told police he didn't know he couldn't have it. He was arrested last week and faces one count of dominion of a firearm by a felon, a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison.