A Georgia man has been sentenced to 300 months in federal prison for drug and firearm offenses. The sentence was announced in Council Bluffs, Iowa, following a series of events involving Taft Cornelius Burtton, 32.

Court documents reveal that Burtton evaded law enforcement during an attempted traffic stop on April 20, 2023, in Adair County. During the pursuit, Burtton reached speeds exceeding 112 miles per hour on Interstate 80 before abandoning his vehicle. Inside the car, authorities discovered 884 grams of methamphetamine and over $42,000 in drug proceeds.

Further investigations led to a search of Burtton's residence in Des Moines on December 7, 2023. Officers found him with significant quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack, marijuana, and a loaded Ruger pistol. As a convicted felon from a previous offense in Illinois for delivering cocaine at a public high school in 2016, Burtton is prohibited from possessing firearms.

Following his prison term, Burtton will serve five years of supervised release. The federal system does not offer parole options.

The case was prosecuted by United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal from the Southern District of Iowa. The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Adair Police Department, Des Moines Police Department, Dallas County Sheriff's Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.