A man who possessed a firearm after the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office searched his Hawkeye, Iowa, home in August pled guilty Wednesday in federal court in Cedar Rapids. 38 year old Rusty Joe Barker was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition after he was convicted of a felony offense.
In an earlier detention hearing, the evidence showed that Fayette County Deputies learned that Barker had access to a firearm and ammunition when they went to the Barker home in response to a child abuse/runaway child investigation. At the plea hearing, Barker admitted he possessed a handgun and ammunition on August 10 when the deputies searched his home. Barker also admitted he was previously convicted of kidnapping and willful injury in the Iowa District Court for Chickasaw County in 2007.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a pre-sentence report is prepared. Barker remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.