DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Burlington man was sentenced on September 23, 2026, to 78 months in federal prison possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to public court documents, Tyler Keith Jennings, 39, was a passenger in a vehicle that fled from police on September 11, 2025. The vehicle eventually stopped and Jennings pulled a firearm on officers, racked the slide, and fled the scene. The driver of the vehicle later told officers that Jennings held a gun to his head and told him to flee from officers. Officers later conducted a search warrant at a residence Jennings was staying at and located firearms and ammunition. Jennings had absconded from state supervision and had arrest warrants for violations of his state probation and parole at the time. Jennings has prior felony convictions which prohibit him from possessing firearms, including a 2023 conviction for eluding, criminal mischief, and assault on a police officer in the Iowa District Court for Des Moines County.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Jennings will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office, the Burlington Police Department, the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Taskforce, and the West Burlington Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles:
rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Southern District of Iowa — U.S. Department of Justice press release.