An Alta man has pled guilty in federal court to illegally possessing a firearm. Twenty-nine-year-old Taxavier Ford entered the plea on August 11 in Sioux City.
Ford was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. His prior convictions include possession of a narcotic drug in Indiana in 2017 and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver—along with unlawful firearm possession—in Buena Vista County in 2021. Those convictions prohibit him from owning or carrying any firearm.
The charge stems from a March 14, 2025, traffic stop in Storm Lake. Officers pulled Ford over for illegal window tint and detected the smell of marijuana. A search revealed a loaded firearm tucked in Ford’s waistband, which he admitted to possessing.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods and Operation Take Back America—federal initiatives aimed at reducing gun violence and dismantling criminal networks.
Ford remains free on bond while awaiting sentencing. He faces up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
The investigation was led by Storm Lake Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kraig Hamit is prosecuting the case.
