Covington Gets 15 Years for Assaulting Officer, Gun Charge

KNOXVILLE, TN – Larry Steven Covington Jr., 40, is headed to federal prison for a decade and a half after a brazen attempt to evade justice turned violent. Covington was sentenced on May 29, 2019, by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas W. Phillips to 180 months – 15 years – behind bars.

The sentence stems from Covington’s guilty plea to charges of assault upon a federal officer, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and failure to surrender for service of his previous sentence. The initial 46-month sentence, handed down in April 2018, was supposed to be the end of the line for Covington. Instead, it kicked off a dangerous chain of events.

Released on bond while awaiting Bureau of Prison (BOP) designation, Covington received clear instructions to report to FCI Berkley in West Virginia on May 2, 2018. He even acknowledged the date by signing a letter from the U.S. Marshals Service. But Covington had other plans. He skipped town, prompting a warrant for his arrest and forcing a full-blown manhunt.

On July 2, 2018, Covington, along with his girlfriend, Pennie Smith, thought they could outsmart the law. They headed to the U.S. Post Office on Weisgarber Road in Knoxville to pick up a package, unaware that Deputy U.S. Marshals, acting on a tip, were already watching. Smith went inside while Covington waited in the car, believing he could slip away unnoticed. He was wrong.

When Marshals moved in, identifying themselves and ordering Covington out of the vehicle, he panicked. Instead of complying, Covington floored it, driving directly at the officers. A Deputy Marshal was forced to leap out of the way to avoid being struck. Covington then led police on a high-speed chase, reaching speeds near 100 mph before abandoning the vehicle in his mother’s neighborhood and hiding in a friend’s crawl space. Law enforcement quickly located and apprehended him.

A search of Covington’s vehicle revealed the extent of his desperation – and his firepower. Authorities recovered three guns and ammunition, further cementing the severity of his crimes. The investigation was a joint effort by the U.S. Marshal Service and the FBI, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kolman successfully prosecuting the case. Covington’s attempt to evade justice didn’t just fail; it added years to his already substantial prison term, proving that running from the law rarely pays off.

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