Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
Richard Charles Thomas Jr., a 42-year-old resident of Merced, has been sentenced to 15 years and eight months in prison. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston for possessing with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith.
Court documents reveal that on August 25, 2020, Thomas engaged in a high-speed chase through the residential streets of Merced after a law enforcement officer attempted to stop him for a traffic violation. During the pursuit, he reached speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, drove on the wrong side of the road, ignored stop signs, and discarded a bag from his car window.
Thomas was eventually apprehended after abandoning his moving vehicle and fleeing on foot. Law enforcement officers recovered the discarded bag containing several thousand dollars in cash and nearly two pounds of methamphetamine with a purity level of 99%.
The case resulted from an investigation conducted by the Merced Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez and Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case.
