Waterloo Man Sentenced in Federal Gun Case Tied to Domestic Violence Conviction

WATERLOO, Iowa — A Waterloo man previously convicted of domestic violence has been sentenced to federal prison after authorities found multiple firearms, including weapons equipped with high-capacity magazines.

Chad Michael Newell, 51, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison after pleading guilty on Sept. 4, 2025, to possession of a firearm by a person convicted of domestic violence.

Court records state Newell was convicted in 2020 of domestic abuse assault by strangulation and domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury — convictions that barred him from legally possessing firearms.

Investigators say police searched Newell’s garage on Feb. 11, 2025, and found three guns inside a vehicle. Two of the firearms had magazines capable of holding 30 rounds.

Newell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by U.S. District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. In addition to the prison term, he was ordered to serve two years of supervised release following incarceration. Federal cases do not include parole.

Newell was released on bond and has been ordered to surrender to the U.S. Marshal on a date that has not yet been set.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Waterloo Police Department.

Officials said the case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through coordinated enforcement and community partnerships.