Solon shooting suspect violated probation more than 50 times

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Before a 19-year-old was arrested for a drive-by shooting in rural Solon on Tuesday, court documents show he violated his probation more than 50 times from August 2021 to March 2023.

Bryant Wallace was placed on probation for five years after he pled guilty to lesser charges after prosecutors said he engaged in a sex act with a 13-year-old girl in 2020. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said Wallace was arrested after he and another teenager drove by an RV and fired five shots at a camper, which almost hit somebody inside.

Drew Konicek, who is the division manager within the Department of Correctional Services for the 6th District - the state agency overseeing probation and parole for Linn and Johnson County, said in an email there is no number of violations that will result in a recommendation to revoke a client’s probation. However, he said the agency considers both the volume and severity of the violations along with the circumstances to protect the individual and the community.

“There was evidence to suggest that Mr. Wallace had protective factors in place and our goal is to work with clients to build off those areas of stability,” Konicke said. “Revoking a teenager to prison is guaranteed to diminish, if not completely eliminate, those protective factors.”

Our i9 Investigative Team has done other stories about people convicted of violent crimes avoiding time in prison in our Investigative Series called “Released Too Soon”. You can read our first story about a sex offender released from prison by mistake, our second story about documents claiming the Board of Parole made some decisions illegally and our third story about concerns about releasing criminals too early.

He also said Wallace was punished for violations of his probation by court intervention and incarceration “to interrupt a pattern of violating behavior” in an email.

Most of Wallace’s violations occurred from August 2021 to July 2022, which were mostly related to issues around his location, missing sexual abuse treatment programs and the battery on the GPS around his ankle to die.

An official with the Department of Correctional Services for the 6th District said Wallace was arrested in July 2022 for not following the terms of his probation but was released on bond.

About two months later, court documents show Wallace was charged with robbery, theft and assault. Prosecutors said Wallace along with another man assaulted a man and then took his shoes, cell phone, a pink vape pen and two ounces of marijuana. Then, Wallace was arrested again after his GPS monitor placed him at the location of a shots fired call in November 2022.

Court documents show he served 90 days in jail after his arrest in November for violating probation.

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