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

Press Release

Olague tried to flee police, including a high-speed chase

A man who attempted to flee police twice while illegally possessing firearms and drugs, was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison.

Raymon Olague, age 31, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a February 12, 2024, guilty plea to illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Evidence in the case revealed on May 1, 2023, Olague was involved in a car chase that reached speeds in excess of 100 mph. Stop sticks were deployed, which struck a front tire, but Olague continued to flee law enforcement at a high rate of speed for several blocks. Olague pulled into an alley and threw a loaded handgun, with an obliterated serial number, out of the driver's side door, before fleeing on foot into a nearby residence. Olague failed to comply with officers' verbal commands but was found hiding under a child's bed in the residence, and was apprehended. Olague posted a cash bond for the eluding charges.

On September 21, 2023, while officers were conducting surveillance on another incident, Olague was observed entering the residence without any bags or backpacks, and two minutes later, exited carrying a backpack. When a uniformed officer approached Olague, he refused commands and fled on foot, dropping the backpack and multiple items from his waistband. Olague was apprehended and taken into custody on a warrant for failing to appear at a hearing related to the May 1 incident. Officers located the items Olague dropped, and inside the backpack was a second loaded pistol that had been reported stolen, along with drug paraphernalia.

Olague was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Leonard T. Strand to 90 months' imprisonment adjusted for time served on a related state offense. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. 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.

The case was investigated by Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

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

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

The case file number is 23-4064.

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Updated July 27, 2024