Muscatine Man Sentenced to 58 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon While on Federal Supervised Release

DAVENPORT, Iowa - A Muscatine man was sentenced to 58 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.

According to public court documents, in May 2024, Robert Owen Knapp, III, 33, fled on foot armed with a pistol, following an attempted traffic stop. Knapp was apprehended and had a pistol in his hand. At the time, Knapp was on federal supervised release due to a 2017 conviction for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Knapp will be required to serve a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Knapp's supervised release for his prior federal conviction was revoked and the Court sentenced Knapp to a nine-month term of imprisonment, consecutive to the 58-month sentence.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Muscatine County Sheriff's Office.

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.