Issac Rayford, age 32, from Sioux City, was sentenced March 26, 2026, to 4 years in federal prison after an October 21, 2025, guilty plea to Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Drug User, and Domestic Abuse Misdemeanant.Evidence in the case revealed that on November 2, 2024, Rayford’s girlfriend found his loaded firearm sitting on the toilet bowl as he showered. Scared of what he might do with the gun, she hid the weapon. Rayford discovered it was gone and violently attacked his girlfriend. He threw her to the ground, put his whole-body weight on her face, picked her up and threw her on the floor, put his hands around her neck, and broke her clavicle. When he began searching for the gun elsewhere, she escaped the apartment, and a neighbor called police. Rayford fled the scene on foot prior to officers’ arrival. On November 4, 2024, the girlfriend called law enforcement and reported that she had seen Rayford on her security camera entering her home. Officers arrived and Rayford was taken into custody without further incident. Rayford’s criminal history includes convictions for two serious assaults, domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury, disorderly conduct where actually “he grabbed and choked” a female, disorderly conduct where he actually jeopardized a baby and threatened others, interfering with official acts by running from police to avoid arrest, driving while barred or suspended, and failing to appear for court.Rayford was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 48 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.Rayford is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.The case file number is 25-4017.Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice