CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Jacob Voshell, 46, of Cedar Rapids, is facing a lengthy stretch behind bars after a high-speed chase and the discovery of a stolen handgun in his wrecked vehicle. Voshell was sentenced today to 105 months – more than eight years – in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The incident unfolded in the early hours of August 7, 2013, when Voshell attempted to evade Cedar Rapids police after driving the wrong way on a one-way street. A pursuit ensued, ending with Voshell crashing the stolen vehicle and attempting to flee on foot. He didn’t get far.
A search of the wreckage revealed more than just a stolen vehicle. Officers recovered a loaded, stolen .380 caliber handgun, alongside a police scanner, burglary tools, stolen license plates, and a cocktail of controlled substances and drug paraphernalia. The discovery sealed Voshell’s fate, considering his extensive criminal history.
Voshell’s past caught up with him quickly. He was already prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior convictions in 1987 for Robbery in the First Degree and Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree. Chief United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade made it clear during sentencing that Voshell’s reckless endangerment of the public during the police chase was a significant factor in the length of his sentence.
Adding to Voshell’s woes, the 105-month sentence will run consecutively to an existing seven-year sentence he’s currently serving for separate convictions handed down by the Iowa District Court for Linn County, including multiple counts of Theft 2nd Degree, Possession of Burglary Tools, and Burglary 3rd Degree. He’ll also be subject to a three-year term of supervised release after completing his federal prison sentence – a formality in a system without parole.
Voshell is currently in the custody of the United States Marshals, awaiting transport to a designated federal prison facility. The case was a collaborative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department as part of the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force and Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. Assistant United States Attorney C.J. Williams prosecuted the case. Court file information can be found at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl, case file number 13-cr-91.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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