HARRISONBURG, Va. — A Pennsylvania man who led police on a high-speed chase through an interstate work zone was sentenced to 115 months in federal prison on drug and firearms charges.
According to court documents, Corey Frances Potter was traveling north on I-81 from Roanoke toward Winchester in February when law enforcement officers attempted to stop him in Rockingham County.
Potter instead accelerated, reaching speeds of up to 115 mph while fleeing through a work zone.
The pursuit ended after Potter struck the front tire of a tractor-trailer, spun out, hit a pickup truck and rolled into the median.
Investigators recovered a backpack belonging to Potter that contained two firearms, magazines and ammunition.
Inside the vehicle, authorities also found about 13.7 ounces of cocaine, bags of white pills, another firearm, $14,755 and a fraudulent Drug Enforcement Administration credential, according to prosecutors.
In June, Potter, 30, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“This sentence should send a clear message to any fugitive from justice who seeks refuge in the Western District of Virginia,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert N. Tracci said.
“Every arrest like this is a win for public safety. Our determination ensures that those who try to evade justice are brought back to face it — protecting the peace our community deserves,” said Ian Kaufmann, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division.
According to federal prosecutors, Potter was previously convicted in 2015 of two felony charges in Pennsylvania involving fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement.