Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
Victor Villarreal, a 30-year-old resident of Sioux City, has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. The sentencing took place following his admission of guilt on September 16, 2025.
According to evidence presented in court, the incident began on May 3, 2025. Villarreal and several others went out for dinner and drinks, leaving his minor children with a 15-year-old babysitter. After becoming intoxicated and agitated, Villarreal returned home. When the mother of his children tried to prevent him from driving the children while under the influence, he became violent and displayed a firearm. The babysitter called 911 for assistance.
In the early hours of May 4, law enforcement responded to reports that an angry and intoxicated man was waving a gun and threatening people, including minors. By the time officers arrived at the scene, Villarreal had fled in another person’s car. Authorities discovered that he was both a convicted felon and subject to an active no contact order—both conditions prohibited him from legally possessing a firearm.
Police later located Villarreal and attempted to stop him. He led officers on a pursuit through residential neighborhoods at high speed before crashing into a wooden fence. He then exited the vehicle and was taken into custody.
Villarreal received his sentence from United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand in Sioux City. In addition to prison time, he must serve three years of supervised release following incarceration; there is no parole available in the federal system.
The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is described as “the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.” According to officials: “PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.”
Villarreal remains in United States Marshal’s custody pending transfer to federal prison.
The investigation was conducted by the Sioux City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild prosecuted the case.
