CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – A reckless flight from justice culminated in a 151-month federal prison sentence for Kelsey Leroy Beckett, 24, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Beckett was sentenced May 30, 2019, after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as a felon, escape, and assault with a dangerous weapon stemming from a brazen Election Day chase in November 2016.
The incident unfolded when Beckett, driving a stolen vehicle, led officers on a high-speed pursuit through residential neighborhoods of Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha. The chase wasn’t just fast; it was a wanton display of disregard for public safety. Beckett plowed through lawns, a daycare parking lot, and slammed into a skid loader and a parked car, all while the car itself caught fire. During the pursuit, he deliberately rammed and totaled a United States Marshal’s Service (USMS) vehicle and made three attempts to run down a USMS task force officer, who had his firearm drawn and badge clearly displayed. Another officer, witnessing the danger, reportedly yelled for the officer to shoot Beckett.
Even after the vehicle was disabled, Beckett wasn’t finished. He fled on foot, briefly impeded by a K-9 officer’s dog. Beckett then violently attacked the canine, striking it multiple times before the dog, in self-defense, bit Beckett – the first time the animal had ever been forced to use such force to protect its own life. Adding insult to injury, authorities discovered Beckett was already a fugitive from a residential reentry center and possessed two loaded, stolen firearms inside the vehicle. A Glock .40 caliber pistol, complete with a full 22-round extended magazine, was in plain view on the driver’s side floorboard.
This wasn’t Beckett’s first brush with the law. Court records reveal a pattern of violent behavior dating back to 2009, including a senseless attack on a female college student – beating her from behind while she screamed for help – and assaulting a shelter staff member. He previously served 30 months in federal prison in 2013 after being convicted of possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. His supervised release from that sentence was revoked twice, including due to the November 2016 chase. The USMS vehicle totaled during the chase will cost Beckett over $8,000 in restitution.
United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams handed down the 151-month sentence, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Beckett will not be eligible for parole in the federal system. This sentence is in addition to a 24-month sentence he was already serving for violating his supervised release from his 2013 firearms conviction. Adding another layer to the case, Saudia Raquel Watkins, who aided Beckett by providing him a ride and sharing marijuana while he was on the run, received a three-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to misprision of a felony earlier this month.
Beckett is currently in US Marshal’s custody awaiting transport back to a federal prison facility. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service. Further details can be found in court file number 18-CR-94 at ecf.iand.uscourts.gov. Follow the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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