A Georgia man, Taft Cornelius Burtton, has been sentenced to 300 months in federal prison for drug and firearm offenses. The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa.
Court documents reveal that on April 20, 2023, Burtton fled from law enforcement during an attempted traffic stop in Adair County. He drove at speeds exceeding 112 miles per hour on I-80, exited and re-entered the interstate, and made a U-turn in the median before law enforcement disabled his vehicle. Burtton then fled on foot but was not apprehended immediately. Inside his vehicle were found 884 grams of methamphetamine and over $42,000 believed to be drug proceeds.
Later, on December 7, 2023, a search of Burtton's residence in Des Moines uncovered more than 50 grams of fentanyl, 150 grams each of heroin and cocaine, along with other drugs including crack and marijuana. A loaded Ruger pistol was also discovered. As a felon with a previous conviction for cocaine delivery at a public high school in Illinois in 2016, Burtton is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Upon completion of his prison term, Burtton will serve a five-year supervised release period as there is no parole available in the federal system.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Adair Police Department, Des Moines Police Department, Dallas County Sheriff's Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.