CASPER, Wyo. — A Casper man has been sentenced to two and a half to five years in prison after twice eluding officers earlier this year.
The charge against Michael Robert Harvey, 36, was enhanced due to a previous conviction for eluding.
A Casper police officer first pulled Harvey over on Feb. 2 for expired tags on his white Cadillac, according to the police report.
While the officer was back at the patrol vehicle checking his ID, Harvey let out the passenger and took off, driving against traffic and eluding the officer in the central Casper neighborhood.
The passenger told police he had advised Harvey against fleeing. Harvey was found to have an expired license and tags, but no other warrants.
Harvey told the District Court judge upon sentencing for this charge that he had been nervous to come into contact with police due to a previous prison sentence. The officer had also noticed the smell of marijuana upon first contact with Harvey, according to the report.
Around 9:45 p.m. on March 13, a patrol unit spotted the Cadillac doing 50 mph in a residential zone westbound on Collins Drive near the Loaf ’N Jug on South Poplar Street.
That chase ended when Harvey parked at Galloways and fled on foot into the west Casper neighborhood, where he was caught.
A search yielded misdemeanor amounts of marijuana, as well as the controlled substances methylphenidate hydrochloride and lisdexamfetamine, the report said.
Harvey pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated eluding in Natrona County District Court, as well as driving under the influence and possession of marijuana.
He was sentenced by Judge Kerri Johnson to 2.5–5 years in prison. He had previously been convicted of conspiracy to commit forgery.
CORRECTION: This article has been update to remove a defendant photo unrelated to this story. Oil City regrets the error.
