Lythung Thach, Stolen Firearm, Iowa 2024

A Sioux City man who stole a firearm from Fleet Farm and escaped on a bicycle has been sentenced to federal prison.

A federal judge in Sioux City has sentenced Lythung Thach, 23, to 30 months in prison for possession of a stolen firearm. Thach was also sentenced to three years of supervised release after serving his prison term.

The crime occurred on June 2023 when Thach, then inside Fleet Farm, requested assistance from an employee to view a handgun. An employee removed the firearm from the case, removed the magazine and handed it to Thach. Thach observed the firearm for a moment before suddenly fleeing out the front doors with the gun, where he got on a bicycle and fled the area.

Thach had previously attempted to gain access to the Sioux City Police Department through the personnel only secure entrance, where he was directed to leave. He then entered through the public entrance, where he advised that he was a new hire and was there to pick up his uniform.

Thach was previously arrested in December 2022 for serious assault. Sioux City officers were dispatched for a physical disturbance between siblings. The victim had several lacerations on his back and advised that Thach had been hit several times with a PVC pipe.

Thach was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.