Felon Sent to Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm
A Storm Lake, Iowa, man was sentenced May 9, 2012, to more than three years in federal prison.
Kou Vue, age 28, from Storm Lake, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 2, 2012, guilty plea to possessing a firearm having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
Information provided by the United States at the sentencing and change of plea hearing revealed that Vue possessed three firearms and ammunition. Vue had handled, claimed ownership of, showed off to friends, and fired these weapons in Storm Lake, Cherokee, and Spencer. Vue's possession was discovered when law enforcement officers executed a consent search at Vue's home to recover firearms after his wife reported to Storm Lake Police Officers that Vue had endangered her children and that there were several firearms in the residence.
Vue was convicted of Intermediate Battery Resulting in Substantial Bodily Harm in Wisconsin in 2003.
Vue was sentenced in United States District Court in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett. Vue was sentenced to 37 months' imprisonment which will run concurrent with an undischarged state sentence. Vue must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after prison. Vue was also prohibited from associating or being in the company of any gang members without prior approval from his probation officer. There is no parole in the federal system. Vue was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment.
Vue is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 11-4095.
The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a cooperative local, state, and federal program aimed at the enhanced prosecution of gun crimes. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office; and the Storm Lake Police Department; The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
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