Kendrick Terrell Pryor, Gun Possession, Georgia 2023

A Valdosta man with a lengthy criminal history is behind bars after leading police on a high-speed chase in an effort to escape arrest.

Kendrick Terrell Pryor, 41, was sentenced to serve 165 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Sands on February 1, after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Pryor is not eligible for parole.

"The defendant reached speeds of 120 miles per hour and drove through a residential section of Valdosta without regard for the safety of others as he attempted to outrun law enforcement," said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. "Felons who consistently demonstrate a total disregard for the law and are found in possession of deadly weapons will find their cases getting federal attention. Our office is working alongside local, state and federal law enforcement to hold repeat offenders accountable."

Pryor's lengthy criminal history includes at least six drug possession and distribution felony convictions in Lowndes County Superior Court as well as one conviction for theft by taking. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.

According to facts presented in court, deputies with the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office attempted to pull Pryor over for suspected impaired driving in Valdosta, Georgia, on July 3, 2022. Pryor refused to pull over and a pursuit ensued. Pryor drove his car at speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour—including through a residential section—and ran stop signs and red lights in an attempt to escape the deputy. Law enforcement was forced to perform a successful PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) Maneuver to stop the car, and Pryor was taken into custody.

Inside Pryor's car, officers found a .22 caliber firearm on the driver's floorboard; a 9mm handgun on the passenger's floorboard; a 50-round drum magazine for a 9mm firearm; and a quantity of methamphetamine, oxycodone pills and cocaine.

This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by bringing together a broad spectrum of stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.

The case was investigated by the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Daniels prosecuted the case for the Government.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/valdosta-man-lengthy-criminal-past-sentenced-illegally-possessing-guns