Des Moines Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm Charge

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for felon in possession of a firearm.

According to public court documents, Walter John Dawson Jr., 26, was identified in early 2023 during a Des Moines Police Department investigation of a two-week shooting spree that involved six separate drive-by shootings in the Des Moines area. Dawson repeatedly fired into occupied residences at multiple locations. In March 2023, Dawson was located asleep in a stolen vehicle by law enforcement and subsequently found to be in possession of a loaded firearm with an extended and loaded magazine. Dawson had previously been convicted in state court of a felony charge, which bars him from possessing a firearm.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Dawson will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.