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North Iowa Sons of Silence member sent to federal prison

Confrontation with off-duty officer led to discovery of illegal firearm.

Justin Carlson
Justin Carlson

A member of the Sons of Silence Motorcycle Club is going to federal prison.

Justin Carlson, 38 of Sheffield, has been sentenced to 10 months behind bars after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Authorities say Carlson, other Sons of Silence members, and another affiliated group confronted a motorcyclist on April 5, 2020. Prosecutors say the group told the motorcyclist, an off-duty police officer, he needed permission to wear on of the patches on the motorcyclist’s jacket. The incident led to a search of Carlson’s home, where law enforcement said it found Carlson’s Sons of Silence motorcycle vest, which had brass knuckles in the pocket, numerous items of Sons of Silence paraphernalia, and two firearms.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force, Clarion Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Waverly Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Algona Police Department, and the Wright County Sheriff’s Department.

After getting out of prison, Carlson will spend two-years on supervised release.