COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – An Omaha man was sentenced on August 11, 2026 to 10 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to public court documents, Courtney Derrell Bennett, 54, was arrested in Council Bluffs by the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force. Bennett had an outstanding arrest warrant from Douglas County, Nebraska, for terroristic threats. At the time of his arrest, Bennett possessed a loaded revolver that had been reported stolen from an Omaha business eight days before Bennett’s arrest. Bennett is prohibited from possessing firearms because he is a felon. Bennett has prior convictions for escape from custody, attempted burglary in the second degree, theft in the first degree, eluding a peace officer, robbery in the second degree, and attempted arson.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Bennett 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. The United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Council Bluffs Police Department investigated the case.
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.
