A Brayton man has been sentenced to up to five years in federal prison following his conviction this week in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. According to court records, 41-year-old Adam Lee Karstens pled guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. On Sept. 15, 2022, the Audubon and Cass County Sheriff’s Offices, the Audubon and Atlantic Police Departments, and Iowa State Patrol all responded to reports of shots fired. Upon arrival, law enforcement located Karstens standing outside the residence near a locked pickup truck. A search of the vehicle revealed a 9mm handgun with a scratched-out serial number under the driver’s seat. Authorities say Karstens was barred from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions. Karstens must serve the entire five-year prison sentence, as there is no parole in the federal system. He must also complete a three-year term of supervised release following his prison sentence. This case was prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a multi-agency project involving all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and gun violence.
