Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Des Moines Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon and Drug User
DES MOINES, Iowa – On December 20, 2019, Christina Louise Stein, age 34, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger for Felon and Unlawful User of a Controlled Substance in Possession of a Firearm. Stein was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment, the statutory maximum, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release.
Stein pleaded guilty to the offense on August 14, 2019. At sentencing, the Court found on April 7, 2019, Stein was stopped by an Iowa State Patrol Trooper after she was driving the wrong way on a one-way street in downtown Des Moines. While the Trooper was conducting the traffic stop, Stein reversed her vehicle to escape, nearly hitting the Trooper. Stein then led the Trooper on a high-speed chase through the streets of downtown Des Moines, nearly striking multiple other vehicles. She reached speeds of between approximately 60 and 75 miles per hour. Stein eventually crashed her vehicle in a parking lot at Principal Park. A loaded revolver was found at her feet in the vehicle. At the time, Stein was on parole for three separate Iowa convictions.
The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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