A man convicted by a jury of carrying a handgun into a home invasion in Cedar Rapids has been sentenced to nearly a decade in federal prison.

Prosecutors say Carl McArthur of Cedar Rapids and another man broke into a house in March of 2018 to steal money and drugs. Someone inside called 911 and McArthur was arrested by Cedar Rapids police. McArthur, who is now 40 years old, has a prior state conviction in 2003 for misdemeanor domestic abuse assault and a 2009 federal felony firearm conviction.

This Iowa case is part of a federal, state and local law enforcement initiative called “Project Guardian” that prosecutes criminals who pose the greatest threat to communities by charging them with federal gun law violations.