Alamdar Hamdani U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A 33-year-old man has been sentenced to federal prison after a high-speed chase through Houston, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Evan Jones admitted guilt on July 3, 2024, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal has sentenced him to 108 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. The court deemed the substantial sentence necessary due to the case's circumstances and Jones' criminal history, which includes two convictions for heroin distribution intent and one for reckless vehicle operation.
Authorities located Jones in Houston while attempting to arrest him on an outstanding warrant. As they approached him in a restaurant parking lot, he fled, initiating a high-speed chase through the city streets. During the pursuit, Jones drove against traffic, ran a red light, and collided with two vehicles.
After his airbags deployed during the crash, Jones attempted to escape on foot but was tackled by local law enforcement. At that moment, he drew a Glock pistol from his waistband. The investigation found that the gun had an illegal machinegun conversion device enabling it to fire fully automatically instead of semi-automatically.
Jones remains in custody awaiting 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.
