A man from Webster Groves has been sentenced to eight years in prison after admitting to chasing three teenagers while armed. U.S. District Judge Maria A. Lanahan handed down the sentence on Thursday.
Leon Joseph Reitz, 54, pleaded guilty in October to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on March 7, 2025, Reitz approached a car parked on Greeley Avenue that contained 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 breaking into a jog and pulling out a handgun. The teens fled the scene, and Reitz pursued them in a Toyota Camry through neighborhood streets at speeds estimated between 85 and 90 miles per hour. Both vehicles eventually stopped within sight of a Webster Groves Police Department officer who was in the area at the time. The teens ran to the officer for help, leading to Reitz’s arrest.
Police found a loaded handgun under the front seat of Reitz’s car and an extra magazine for the pistol in his pocket.
At the scene, Reitz claimed he thought the teens were going to rob him; however, as stated in his plea agreement, there was no evidence supporting this claim. Because of previous 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.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime,” according to officials involved with Operation Take Back America. “Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.”
