Lennox Vanvacter, Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm, Iowa 2023

Fort Dodge, Iowa - A jury has convicted a man of illegally possessing a firearm after a high-speed chase through Webster County. Lennox Vanvacter, 31, was found guilty of one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

The conviction came after a three-day trial in federal court in Sioux City. Vanvacter was convicted on October 10, 2024, following about 7 hours of jury deliberations.

According to the evidence presented at trial, law enforcement officers observed Vanvacter operating a motor vehicle on July 30, 2023. When emergency lights and sirens were activated, Vanvacter engaged in a high-speed attempt to elude law enforcement, reaching speeds of 70 mph or more in Fort Dodge and 100 mph or more outside city limits. Two sets of spike strips deployed by officers ultimately stopped the vehicle. Vanvacter attempted to flee from the officers on foot, but was captured a short distance later.

During the pursuit, officers located a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol near the end of the vehicle's flight path. Review of patrol car camera video revealed that the firearm was thrown from the vehicle at the end of the pursuit.

Vanvacter faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.

Vanvacter remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence in communities.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County Sheriff's Office, Iowa DCI Laboratory, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

The case file number is 23-3037. For more information, visit https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndia/pr/jury-convicts-fort-dodge-iowa-man-illegal-possession-firearm