DES MOINES – An Ottumwa man was sentenced on September 15, 2026, to seven years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to public court documents, on February 25, 2026, John Ansel Amburn, Jr, 25, was the driver and sole occupant of a stolen car that was involved in high-speed chase with a Wapello County Sheriff’s Office Detective. The chase ended when Amburn crashed into a telephone pole and the detective found a loaded .22‑caliber pistol in Amburn’s coat pocket. Amburn had previously been convicted of carrying a concealed weapon in 2020 and possessing a firearm by a domestic violence offender in 2022.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Amburn will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Wapello County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
