Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
A case involving a vehicle pursuit that ended in Madison County has resulted in a Wisconsin man being sentenced to 30 years in Federal prison.
According to a news release from the Madison County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), Iziquel Vang, led law enforcement officials on a chase that included shots being fired by Vang. The pursuit began in Brooks County, Ga., when officers from the Brooks County Sheriff's Office attempted to stop Vang on Georgia State Road 221. The pursuit ended on U.S. Hwy. 90, west of Greenville, when Vang crashed the stolen silver Mitsubishi he was driving with a kidnap victim on board. The kidnapped victim was safely recovered and Vang fled on foot into a nearby wooded area. Vang was tracked for over three hours and was eventually taken into custody and held at the Madison County Jail until his extradition to Alabama. Vang's apprehension involved a multi-agency effort with officers from not only the MCSO, but the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, the Brooks County Sheriff's Office, the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office, the Georgia State Patrol, the Morven, Ga. Police Department, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and canine units from the Madison and Hamilton Department of Corrections.
According to the news release, Vang, originally from Milwaukee, Wis., had been living in Alabama and became friends with a 16-year-old female from Slocomb, Ala. The friendship ended when Vang became aggressive. On May 9, 2021, Vang entered the girl's home, threatened the girl and her mother with a gun and forced the girl to drive him to Georgia in her family's car. Later, Vang and his victim headed south toward Florida. Law enforcement officers were alerted that Vang could be in the Quitman, Ga. area. That's where Vang was spotted by a Brooks County Sheriff's Office deputy and the chase ensued. Vang was originally charged with several local charges, however local prosecutors dropped those charges in favor of federal charges of kidnapping and carjacking. A third charge of violent crime/drugs/machine gun was dropped by federal prosecutors. On Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2021, Vang entered a guilty plea on the charges of kidnapping and motor vehicle theft. On Monday, March 13, Vang was sentenced to 360 months in prison for the kidnapping charge and 180 months on the motor vehicle theft charge, with sentences to be served concurrently. Vang was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release once his prison term is completed. Vang was also ordered to pay $200 in court-related costs. A restitution hearing is scheduled to take place on Thursday, May 4. The case was heard in the Alabama Middle District of the U.S. District Court, in Dothan, Ala. The Honorable Judge R. Austin Huffaker, Jr. and the Honorable Judge Jerusha T. Adams were the presiding judges in the case.
The U.S. Attorney's Office recognized the numerous agencies that participated in Vang's apprehension and eventual conviction. These included: the FBI and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency that investigated the case, with assistance from: the Geneva County, Ala. Sheriff's Office; the Slocomb, Ala. Police Department; the Dale County, Ala. Sheriff's Office; the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Police Department; the Brooks County, Ga. Sheriff's Office; the Georgia Highway Patrol; the Lowndes County, Ga. Sheriff's Office; the Morven, Ga. Police Department; the FHP; the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission; the MCSO; Madison and Hamilton Department of Corrections canine units. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin P. Davidson.
“Vang’s arrest was possible because there are men and women who choose to put service to others above themselves,” said Madison County Sheriff David Harper. “I am proud of the collaborative effort of all the agencies involved in the apprehension of Vang, but most importantly, the safe recovery of the kidnapping victim.”