Sioux City Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

Valon Jackson, Jr., age 40, from Sioux City, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison, after a November 5, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon and drug user.

Evidence in the case revealed on June 19, 2024, at approximately 11:30 p.m., a concerned citizen reported a reckless driver, later identified as Jackson, speeding through residential neighborhoods with no headlights on.  Officers located the vehicle and observed the car traveling at a high rate of speed, then abruptly stop, and park.  As officers activated their emergency lights, Jackson accelerated at a high rate of speed again with the headlights off evading police.  As Jackson fled law enforcement, another concerned citizen reported his reckless driving in another part of town.  Law enforcement proceeded to that area and located the vehicle.  As officers approached, Jackson began reversing in a reckless manner, leaving the roadway and hitting an unoccupied vehicle before again fleeing officers.  Jackson continued to flee, driving through a person’s yard, through driveways, and along Broken Kettle Road, where he struck yet another vehicle ultimately incapacitating his vehicle.  He then fled on foot but was apprehended a short distance away.  Jackson had blood-shot and watery eyes and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.  Officers located marijuana, cocaine and multiple items of drug paraphernalia in the vehicle.  After he was taken into custody, Jackson began making threats against law enforcement. 

On June 20, 2024, a citizen walking a dog on Broken Kettle reported finding a firearm in a yard.  Officers located the firearm and observed that it was on the Jackson’s flight path.  Fingerprint testing confirmed the firearm and loaded magazine bore Jackson’s fingerprints.

Jackson has a history of violence, a 2023 arson conviction, and a 2011 federal conviction for possession of a firearm by a felon.  Jackson left a location after a verbal altercation, retrieved a gun bearing a homemade silencer, and waited outside the location to ambush his victim.  Jackson repeatedly fired at his victim, hitting him once. 

Jackson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 120 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Jackson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-4084.

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