Lang
5/2/26
A Quad Cities man is accused of trying to illegally acquire guns in Johnson County.
Both incidents occurred within an hour of each other on the afternoon of March 14th. Investigators say 37-year-old Esteban Cortes of Davenport entered Ammo Bearer on Stevens Drive in Iowa City and attempted to purchase a firearm, checking a federal form that indicated he had not been convicted of a felony or domestic abuse.
Less than a half-hour later, Cortes checked the same boxes on the same form at Scheels in Coralville.
A later background check showed Cortes had a felony conviction in Lee County, Illinois in 2019 and a domestic abuse conviction in Rock Island County in 2013.
Cortes is now charged with Providing False Information in Acquiring a Weapon, Fraudulent Purchase of a Firearm, Dominion or Control of a Firearm by a Felon, and Dominion or Control of a Firearm By a Domestic Abuser. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.