CLEARFIELD – Clearfield County District Attorney, William A. Shaw, Jr., announced that a Fugitive of the Week has been sentenced. Shaw stated that Jeffery Rexford Powell was sentenced after spending nearly two years on the run from law enforcement.
On May 5, 2008, Officer Jon Walker, of the Lawrence Township Police Department, filed a criminal complaint charging Powell with aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, as well as DUI and related offenses. An Affidavit of Probable Cause filed by Walker states that at approximately 4:48 p.m. on March 21, 2008, the Lawrence Township Police were dispatched to a vehicle accident on Washington Avenue, in Hyde, Pennsylvania. Upon arrival, officers observed a head-on collision. A 2000 Ford pick-up truck driven by Powell had collided with a 1996 Hyundai occupied by a mother and her four children.
A preliminary hearing was held on May 28, 2008, at which time Powell waived all charges to court. On Feb. 10, 2009, Powell was scheduled to appear for sentencing on the charges.
Powell failed to appear and a warrant was issued for Powell’s arrest.
On March 29, 2010, Powell was listed as the Clearfield County Fugitive of the Week. Shaw reported that on June 10, 2010, the Clearfield County Crimestoppers received an anonymous tip reporting that Powell was possibly living in or around Missoula, MT. Through investigative leads, the Clearfield County Sheriff’s Department was able to determine a possible location for Powell. The Sheriff’s Department coordinated efforts with the U.S. Marshal Service to positively identify Powell’s location. Deputies from the United States Marshal Service took Powell into custody on June 21, 2010, after locating Powell at a residence in Arlee, Montana.
On Sept. 14, 2010, Powell appeared for sentencing on the charges. President Judge Fredric Ammerman sentenced Powell to a minimum of one year and a maximum of four years incarceration in the state prison system.
Shaw stated he was pleased with the outcome of this case. Shaw said, “Our Fugitive of the Week Program is working and this case is an example of our success”.
Shaw noted that It is important to pursue these cases so that people charged with a crime recognize that fleeing the jurisdiction is not an acceptable alternative.” He said that every effort will be made to apprehend fugitives and hold them accountable for their crimes in Clearfield County.
Shaw thanked the Clearfield County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Marshal’s Service for the hard work in locating Powell.