He made confessions during phone calls from prison, the complaint says

CEDAR RAPIDS – A Cedar Rapids man who pleaded guilty in state court last week to weapons possession and other charges and is facing weapons possession charges in federal court now faces additional weapons possession charges for shooting into an occupied home on Feb. 28.

Robert Shawn Griffin, 25, admitted to this crime while in prison on previous charges of making phone calls from prison.

On Tuesday, he was arraigned in Linn County District Court on charges of intimidation with a dangerous weapon, willful armed action and possession of a weapon by a felon. All three offenses are felonies and two are misdemeanors – reckless use of a firearm and use of a dangerous weapon in the commission of a felony.

According to the indictment, Griffin fired a gun into a residence in the 100 block of Outlook Dr. SW while people were inside on Feb. 28. Griffin was a felon at the time and was identified as a suspect through photographs, surveillance footage and by the owner of the vehicle he was in at the time of the shooting.

Griffin also admitted to the shooting in several interviews with the prison guard while he was in custody on pending charges.

Sixth District Judge Casey Jones set his bail at just $20,000 cash during his initial appearance Tuesday.

Griffin pleaded guilty last week to five charges, including intimidation with a dangerous weapon, burglary and escape in three separate cases. He faces up to 20 years in prison for those convictions. The sentence has not yet been determined.

If convicted on the new charges, he faces up to 24 years in prison.

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