A Duncombe man was sentenced in federal court to 12 years in prison and three years of supervised release for a July 2023 high speed chase in Webster County where he also threw a firearm from the vehicle.

According to prosecutors, Lennox Vanvacter, 32, was seen driving a vehicle on July 30, 2023, by Webster County Sheriff’s officers and City of Fort Dodge police officers. Vanvacter was known to have an active arrest warrant for previously eluding officers. When an officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop, Vanvacter engaged in a nearly 30-minute-long high-speed chase, reaching speeds of 70 miles per hour in Fort Dodge and 100 miles per hour outside of city limits.

Two sets of spike strips were deployed by officers, which ultimately stopped Vanvacter’s vehicle. Once stopped, he attempted to flee on foot but was captured shortly after. At the time, officers located a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol which, according to patrol car video, was thrown from the vehicle by Vanvacter. Federal prosecutors say Vanvacter had a history of leading law enforcement on high-speed pursuits.

Vanvacter was convicted by a jury on Oct. 10, 2024, following a three-day trial and was sentenced this week by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.

The case was 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, as well as assisted by the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office, the Sioux City Police Department, the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hamilton County Attorney’s Office.