Cedar Rapids veteran receives federal probation for firearms charge

CEDAR RAPIDS - A Cedar Rapids veteran who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq was sentenced earlier this week in federal court to five years of probation.

Matthew James Stover, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a semi-automatic assault rifle and ammunition as an unlawful drug user in November 2013. According to the plea, Stover admitted to possessing an AR-15 assault weapon, a magazine containing 59 rounds of .223 caliber ammunition, another magazine for the weapon and about 600 additional rounds of .223 caliber ammunition on August 15, 2013.

The weapons were found when authorities executed a search warrant at his residence, according to the plea agreement. Marion Police officers arrested Stover after he purchased marijuana in a park.

U.S. District Chief Judge Linda Reade sentenced Stover to five years probation with special conditions requiring continued mental health treatment, abstinence from the use of alcohol or drugs, remote alcohol testing, and not being permitted in the unsupervised presence of a child under the age of 12, including his minor daughter. Reade sentenced him below the guideline range, which would have been over three years.

Reade noted during the sentencing, which began August 14, and concluded Wednesday, Stover has been diagnosed as suffering from several mental health conditions, including PTSD, that predated and postdated his military service.

Reade said Stover performed well under pretrial treatment and supervision but he had a history of non-compliance with drug and mental health treatment, as well as a history of violence. Stover had previously assaulted his wife and choked his stepson, and in March 2012 caused an injury to his infant daughter that resulted in her skull being crushed, according to court documents.

Stover also made statements, in the months before his arrest, indicating he wanted to go back to Afghanistan to kill and engage in radical jihad, according to court documents. These statements raised concerns with family members as well as local and federal law enforcement officers.

Reade noted this wasn't the 'run of the mill case” and indicated she was reluctant to interfere with Stover's mental health treatment that he had been receiving from the VA for the past year. In light of this, the court placed Stover on probation and imposed several conditions of probation to minimize the risk to the community. The court cautioned Stover about violating the conditions of probation because he would likely be face prison time.