SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Federal authorities in Iowa are placing a new priority on prosecuting violent crime and firearm offenses. The Sioux City Journal reports that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa is handling an increasing number of cases that would typically be considered state-level offenses. U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan says it’s a deliberate effort to crack down on violent offenders. Deegan says that, in some cases, firearms offenses carry longer federal prison sentences than similar charges in the state legal system.. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in northern Iowa prosecuted 189 defendants in gun cases in fiscal year 2019, compared to 90 defendants in 2016.