U.S. Attorney Timothy Duax | U.S. Department of Justice
A Dubuque man has been sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for possessing drugs and a firearm. Dylan VanScoyoc, aged 29, was sentenced following his guilty plea on August 30, 2024. He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance after a prior felony drug offense conviction, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence presented at the hearings revealed that on September 22, 2023, an officer stopped VanScoyoc's vehicle. VanScoyoc fled on foot but was eventually apprehended. Officers found a loaded firearm, digital scale, and over 140 grams of cocaine in the vehicle.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced VanScoyoc in Cedar Rapids to 228 months' imprisonment. Following his prison term, he will serve six years of supervised release. Federal sentences do not include parole.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through community collaboration and strategic enforcement priorities. The Department launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021.
VanScoyoc remains in United States Marshal’s custody pending transfer to federal prison.
Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep prosecuted the case with investigations conducted by the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; East Dubuque Police Department; and Dubuque Drug Task Force comprising the Dubuque Police Department and Dubuque Sheriff’s Office.