CASPER, Wyo. — A man charged with fleeing from Casper police in a reported stolen vehicle late last December is now facing federal firearms charges.
George Jackson, 25, pleaded not guilty in Natrona County District Court on Tuesday to a felony charge of grand theft as well as misdemeanor charges of fleeing, reckless driving, interference and possession of fentanyl.
Jackson has been in custody since his Dec. 20 arrest. His bond was kept at $25,000 cash or surety by Judge Kerri Johnson.
Around 8:09 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 20, officers posted in an alley near Coulter Drive in west Casper saw the same stolen truck that had eluded them in previous weeks coming down the road, according to the report. The vehicle, a Dodge pickup, went down an alley.
Officers set up a perimeter and activated lights, and the suspect then began speeding backward down the alley, hitting a parked car and dumpster, according to the affidavit. The vehicle turned around, charged the other police car, ran over a city utility pole, struck a concrete block, and drove onto a bike path that winds through the neighborhood parallel to the fairgrounds, the report said.
The truck finally got stuck in a snow drift and the suspect fled on foot. Officers caught the suspect, later identified as Jackson, at Kearney and Fremont streets.
The vehicle’s VIN revealed it had been reported stolen in Natrona County, police said.
Jackson reportedly told police he had bought the vehicle for $200 from “Bam,” a known alias of fugitive Joshua Crook, who had been arrested just days prior. The state charged Jackson with knowingly receiving stolen property.
Police say they found a sawn-off 20-gauge shotgun in the truck. Jackson denied possession or use of the shotgun, but told police he was aware of its presence because it had slid out from under the seat.
A federal indictment was filed March 16 against Jackson on two counts related to being a felon in possession of an unregistered firearm. The two charges together carry a maximum penalty of up to 25 years in prison.
Jackson’s public defender told the district court Tuesday that Jackson’s state charges would likely be remanded back to circuit court pending a global agreement with the state.
