By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

Ricky Anthony Johnson

WARSAW — A Warsaw man will serve a three-year sentence locally for two vehicle pursuits that occurred in January 2021.

In the first case, Ricky Anthony Johnson, 41, 2605 E. Center St., Warsaw, was charged with possession of methamphetamine and resisting law enforcement, both level 6 felonies. He was also charged with resisting law enforcement, a level 6 felony; and carrying a handgun without a license, a class A misdemeanor, in a second case. Eight additional criminal charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Johnson was sentenced in Kosciusko Circuit Court on Thursday, March 31.

On Jan. 3, 2021, a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office deputy noticed a vehicle traveling while missing a headlight. While following the vehicle, the deputy noticed it cross over the road’s centerline.

According to court documents, when the deputy attempted to pull the vehicle over, the vehicle’s driver disregarded him and a pursuit was initiated. The vehicle’s driver began traveling at high rates of speed through populated areas, nearly hitting a pedestrian. The driver also passed another vehicle on Old Road 30 at a high rate of speed in a no-passing zone. The driver eventually lost control of their vehicle and came to a stop in the area of CR 300N and CR 850E.

The driver, later identified as Johnson, fled the scene on foot. Officers found Johnson in a nearby area. While searching Johnson’s vehicle, officers found a container holding three grams of methamphetamine.

On Jan. 12, 2021, Indiana State troopers received information that Johnson, who was traveling in the area of Shilling Road and CR 500N, was in possession of a handgun. A passenger in Johnson’s vehicle, Angela C. Rogers, Rochester, was also known to have outstanding warrants for her arrest out of Fulton County.

A NET43 Drug Task Force officer found Johnson’s vehicle and began pursuing him. The officer was following Johnson at speeds of about 90 miles per hour. The hour-long vehicle pursuit ran across four different counties and involved several assisting police agencies. At one point, Johnson’s vehicle reached speeds of 111 mph. He passed on double yellow lines and hills, disregarding stop signs and automatic signals while endangering his vehicle’s occupants and other drivers on the road.

During the pursuit, officers witnessed Johnson throw items from the vehicle, one of which was a black handgun. The pursuit traveled through Noble and DeKalb Counties before ending in Allen County.

A third occupant in the vehicle said that Johnson had a handgun on his person prior to throwing it from the vehicle. Rogers is facing three drug possession charges in this case and has a pretrial conference on May 2.

During court proceedings, Defense Attorney John Barrett said Johnson did not qualify for sentencing alternatives such as work release or community corrections.

For each count of resisting law enforcement, Kosciusko Circuit Court Judge Michael Reed sentenced Johnson to one year in the Kosciusko County Jail. He also received a 182-day KCJ sentence for carrying a handgun without a license and a 183-day KCJ sentence for methamphetamine possession. All four charges will be served consecutively to each other, as well as consecutively to sentences imposed in four additional criminal cases.

Johnson also has 302 days of jail time credit plus good time credit in the cases. His driver’s license is suspended for two years upon his release from incarceration. The firearm seized from Johnson is forfeited to the Indiana State Police.

In total, Johnson received a three-year KCJ sentence.

“Running away in a vehicle and endangering people causes me great concern,” said Judge Reed. “I don’t ever want to hear about you driving a vehicle like that again.”