Federal prosecutors in Kansas have filed so many firearms cases that the Midwestern farm state ranked third last year among the 94 judicial districts nationwide in the number of gun prosecutions.

U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom says in a news release Thursday that his office prosecuted 298 firearms cases in 2013, up from 291 the previous year, when the District of Kansas also ranked third. The Kansas district led the nation in federal firearms prosecutions in 2011 with 279 cases.

Only Puerto Rico and the Western District of Missouri prosecuted more firearms cases in 2013.

Federal statutes prohibit convicted felons from possessing guns. It is also a federal crime to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking or violent crimes.