Iowa City Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for Firearms Charge

DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced yesterday to 41 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.

According to public court documents, Javeyel Johnta Jones, 22, was identified at the scene of a May 2023 shooting in Muscatine. A gun was recovered from the scene and, following additional analysis, Jones’ fingerprint was found on the gun. During a 2024 investigation, Jones was found to be in possession of a second gun in West Liberty.

In 2023, Jones was convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon in the Iowa District Court for Johnson County and was on probation for this charge at the time of federal indictment.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Jones will be required to serve a three-year term 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 Muscatine County Police Department and Muscatine County Drug Task Force.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.