A man from Webster Groves, Missouri, has been sentenced to eight years in prison after admitting to chasing three teenagers while armed with a handgun. U.S. District Judge Maria A. Lanahan handed down the sentence to Leon Joseph Reitz, 54, on Thursday.
Reitz pleaded guilty in October to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on March 7, 2025, Reitz approached a car parked on Greeley Avenue containing two juvenile males and an 18-year-old male. The juveniles were picking up their friend who lived nearby. Reitz walked toward the vehicle with one hand behind his back before accelerating into a jog and drawing a handgun.
The teens fled the scene as Reitz pursued them in a Toyota Camry through neighborhood streets at speeds estimated between 85 and 90 miles per hour. Both vehicles came to a stop near a Webster Groves Police Department officer who was in the area at the time. The teens ran to the officer for help, and Reitz was arrested shortly afterward.
Police recovered a loaded handgun under the front seat of Reitz’s car and found an extra magazine for the pistol in his pocket.
At the scene, Reitz told officers he believed the teens intended to rob him. However, according to his plea agreement, he admitted there was no evidence supporting this claim. As someone with prior felony convictions, Reitz is prohibited from possessing firearms.
The case was investigated by both the Webster Groves Police Department and St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane prosecuted the case.
According to information provided by federal authorities, this prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice that combines resources from various agencies such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods in order to address violent crime and organized criminal activity across communities.
