Jury Convicts Fort Dodge, Iowa Man for Illegal Possession of Firearm

Press Release

Vanvacter, a convicted felon, led law enforcement on high-speed chase prior to throwing his firearm from vehicle

A man who illegally possessed a firearm was convicted by a jury on October 10, 2024, after a three-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.

Lennox Vanvacter, 31, was convicted of one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. The verdict was returned following about 7 hours of jury deliberations.

The evidence at trial showed that on July 30, 2023, law enforcement officers observed Vanvacter operating a motor vehicle. Based on their observations and the fact Vanvacter had an active arrest warrant for a previous eluding charge, officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop and apprehend him. When emergency lights/sirens were activated, Vanvacter engaged in a high-speed attempt (approximately 30 minutes in duration) to elude law enforcement, including speeds of 70 mph or more in Fort Dodge and 100 mph or more outside city limits in Webster County. Two sets of spike strips deployed by officers ultimately stopped the vehicle. Once stopped, Vanvacter attempted to flee from the officers on foot, through the passenger door, but was captured a short distance later. Officers located a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol, near the end of the vehicle's flight path. Later, officers determined by review of patrol car camera video, that the firearm was thrown from the vehicle at the end of the pursuit.

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. 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.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 23-3037.

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Updated October 11, 2024