Grandview Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Illegal Firearm Possession

Convicted Felon Gets 18 Years for Armed Crime

Frank Vanoy, a 37-year-old Grandview, Mo. resident, has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Vanoy was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips without the possibility of parole.

Vanoy’s sentence was based on his status as an armed career offender due to his prior felony convictions. On February 3, 2018, Vanoy was convicted at trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On December 4, 2015, Vanoy was arrested for violating his supervised release in an unrelated federal case. At the time of his arrest, he was found in possession of a stolen Glock .45-caliber pistol, which was loaded and equipped with an extended magazine. Vanoy dropped the firearm and a holster before fleeing to the front porch of his parents’ residence, where he immediately surrendered.

Law enforcement officers recovered the firearm and holster in the area where Vanoy was standing. The firearm also contained a spare magazine. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.

Vanoy has a significant criminal history, including prior federal convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He also has two Virginia state convictions for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and failure to appear in court. According to court documents, every time Vanoy has been on probation or supervised release for a felony case, he has violated his supervision by committing new state and federal felony offenses.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Caine and Ashleigh Ragner. It was investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force, which consists of the FBI, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Johnson County, Kan., Sheriff’s Department, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.

Vanoy’s sentence serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of violating federal firearms laws. The sentence also highlights the importance of law enforcement’s efforts to keep communities safe from armed offenders.

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