TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A Wisconsin man who led police on a high-speed pursuit through the Wabash Valley in 2022 has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for drug and firearm offenses, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.
In December of 2022, the United States Attorney’s Office said Azjuan Meriwether, 25, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, led police on a high-speed chase that lasted 2 hours. During the chase, officials said Meriwether was driving his vehicle the wrong way on the highway, endangering police and citizens.
WTWO/WAWV previously reported that the chase eventually ended when Meriwether’s vehicle was impaired and eventually stopped at US 41 and Linden Street, near Marshall, Illinois.
Inside the vehicle, law enforcement recovered 375 grams of para-fluorofentanyl (a fentanyl analogue) combined with heroin, 165 grams of methamphetamine and 29 grams of cocaine.
After Meriwether was arrested, court documents said, an investigation revealed that Meriwether was the leader of an armed drug trafficking organization that is responsible for distributing at least 32 kilograms of fentanyl, at least 375 grams of para-fluorofentanyl, as well as methamphetamine, cocaine and other drugs.
Meriwether and his organization also engaged in firearm trafficking that involved the illegal sale of firearms and machinegun conversion devices (also known as “switches” and “ghost guns”), according to the attorney’s office.
As part of his plea agreement, Meriwether agreed that he personally and illegally sold 18 firearms and six “switches”, according to the attorney’s office.
“The conduct at issue in this case presented layer upon layer of danger to the community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. “This individual and his organization not only distributed dangerous — potentially lethal — controlled substances but also further endangered others through the sale of switches and ghost guns.”
