Member of Waterloo Hybrid Criminal Street Gang Sentenced to Federal Prison

A man who officers identified as a member of a hybrid criminal street gang in Waterloo, Iowa, was sentenced May 13, 2026, to more than three years in federal prison.

Dearion Deshawn Newman, age 22, from Waterloo, received the prison term after a December 17, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by felon.

Evidence at sentencing showed that on May 11, 2025, Newman was in a car with three other people, including two juveniles. Law enforcement officers identified the people in the car as members of a hybrid criminal street gang in Waterloo. Newman was sitting in the passenger seat of the car. Officers recovered four guns in and around the car. At the plea hearing, Newman admitted possessing a loaded gun that was found under the car. Newman's DNA was found on the gun. The gun also had an extended magazine and a laser sight attached to it. Newman was on state probation for possession of a firearm by a felon and interference with official acts with a firearm. That probation sentence was revoked in October 2025. The sentence in this case will run consecutive to the sentence in state court.

Newman was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Newman was sentenced to 37 months' imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Newman is being held in the United States Marshal's custody until he can be transported to prison.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.plLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

The case file number is 25-cr-2047.

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