SIOUX CITY — A Fort Dodge man pleaded guilty on Friday in federal court to illegal possession of firearms.

Matthew Knowles, 37, admitted to possessing a .380 ACP pistol and a .410 gauge shotgun on Nov. 10, 2022, in Fort Dodge. Knowles also acknowledged at the hearing his use of methamphetamine and marijuana at the time, as well as being a known felon while possessing the firearms, which prohibits him from ownership.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Knowles remains in custody of the United States Marshal until that time.

Knowles faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and no more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood, and was investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Laboratory.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and make neighborhoods safer. In May of 2021, a violent crime reduction strategy was launched to strengthen PSN based on core principles of fostering trust and legitimacy in communities; supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place; establishing focused and strategic enforcement priorities; and measuring the results.