An Oelwein man who possessed eight loaded guns and fled from the police was sentenced on Oct. 19 to more than five years in federal prison.

Justin James Gallmeyer, 39, of Oelwein, pleaded guilty on April 14 to possessing firearms as a felon. He has a prior federal felony conviction for possessing a firearm as a drug user.

According to the news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Northern Iowa, evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that Gallmeyer possessed a total of eight guns over the course of about one year. In August 2020, he fled from the police with two loaded guns tucked into the waistband of his pants. In the summer of 2021, he traded a gun for methamphetamine. In November 2021, Gallmeyer hid in a toolbox at his home when law enforcement officers arrived at the home. Officers later found five guns at his house.

Gallmeyer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Gallmeyer was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Devra Hake and Adam Vander Stoep and investigated by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, and the Oelwein Police Department. 

The news release says the case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, “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.”

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