Iowa prosecutors are going to crack down on crimes committed with guns, by making it a federal case. U-S Attorney Mike Heavican in Omaha says prosecuting gun crimes in federal court makes it easier to throw the book at an offender. Felons, drug users, dealers or aliens in possession of guns are just some of the cases the federal prosecutors will take over. Heavican says it’s not a matter of the federal prosecutors out-ranking local lawmen when it comes to gun crimes.He says the investigators aren’t better, the federal laws are just better. He says federal laws concerning guns used in a crime carry heavier penalties and mandatory sentences. He says they’ll work with local and state investigators and prosecutors, and let them know what kind of case may come along they could hand off to the feds. The U-S Attorney says this is a program from the justice department that crosses state lines, and will let prosecutors work together on both sides of the Missouri River, in Iowa and Nebraska.They’re doing cooperative programs in Sioux City and the Omaha – Council Bluffs area. And Heavican doesn’t care how fast or far the word gets around about the new effort to get gun-related offenders into federal court.He says they want to not only prosecute people but warn others they’ll be next.
