A 33-year-old man has been sentenced to federal prison following a high-speed chase in Houston, as announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Evan Jones pleaded guilty on July 3, 2024, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal sentenced Jones to 108 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The court justified the substantial sentence due to the facts of the case and Jones' criminal history, which includes two convictions for possession with intent to distribute heroin and one for reckless operation of a motor vehicle.
Authorities tracked Jones to Houston intending to arrest him on an outstanding warrant. When approached in a restaurant parking lot, Jones fled and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase through Houston streets. During the pursuit, he drove on the wrong side of the road, ran a red light, and collided with two vehicles.
After his airbags deployed, Jones attempted to escape on foot but was tackled by a local law enforcement officer. At that moment, he pulled out a Glock pistol from his waistband. The investigation revealed that the gun was equipped with an illegal machinegun conversion device that allows guns to be converted from semi-automatic to fully-automatic fire.
Jones remains in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility yet to be determined.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ganz prosecuted the case.