A 54-year-old Webster Groves man, Leon Joseph Reitz, was sentenced to eight years in prison on Thursday for brandishing a firearm and chasing three teenagers in his neighborhood. U.S. District Judge Maria A. Lanahan oversaw the case, in which Reitz pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, related to an incident from March of last year.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Reitz confronted three teenagers—a pair of juvenile males and an 18-year-old—on Greeley Avenue. The teens were picking up a friend who lived on the block when Reitz, with a hand initially concealed, revealed a handgun, prompting them to flee in their vehicle.
The subsequent chase reportedly reached speeds of 85 to 90 miles per hour and ended near a Webster Groves Police Department officer who observed the incident and arrested Reitz. Authorities recovered a loaded handgun from under the front seat of Reitz’s Toyota Camry and a spare magazine from his clothing. Reitz initially stated he believed he was about to be robbed but later acknowledged there was no evidence supporting that claim.
Investigations by the Webster Groves and St. Louis County Police Departments led to Reitz’s prosecution by Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane. As a convicted felon, Reitz was prohibited from possessing a firearm. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a program that uses federal resources to address illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.
