Tanner Joel Leichleiter, Firearm Charges, Nebraska 2021

Tanner Joel Leichleiter, a 32-year-old Tekamah man, has been sentenced to 96 months in prison for being a drug user and addict in possession of 10 firearms, to include an assault rifle. This verdict was handed down in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska.

The case against Leichleiter began on April 20, 2020, when his co-defendant, Nora Gilda Guevara-Triana, asked him to take her two grandchildren, ages 4 and 7, without car seats or shoes from Tekamah to Kansas to teach their mother a lesson. Leichleiter loaded the children into the vehicle, along with marijuana, a pit bull, and 10 firearms that were scattered throughout the vehicle.

Drugs and guns were within reach of the children throughout the interstate trip. An Amber Alert was issued and Leichleiter was located with the children after a farmer in the area recognized Leichleiter and his vehicle from the alert.

Leichleiter previously pleaded guilty to being a drug user in possession of firearms on August 23, 2021. At his sentencing hearing, Leichleiter disputed that the circumstances of his firearm possession amounted to child abuse for a sentence enhancement, but United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher disagreed and found that Leichleiter had “no regard” for the children’s safety and that his case was an extreme example of illegal firearms possession.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Leichleiter will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Tekamah Police Department, Sedgwick County Sheriff, and Wichita Police Department.

The case highlights the dangers of allowing individuals with a history of substance abuse to possess firearms. Leichleiter’s actions put the lives of two innocent children at risk, and his sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes.

This article was written by a hard-hitting crime journalist for Grimy Times. We strive to provide accurate and unbiased reporting on crime and justice in our community.

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