Two people that led police on a high-speed chase down U.S. 42 in April were sentenced to prison terms for failure to comply charges.
Troy B. T. Byrd, 30, of Urbana, and Jamie V. Jarrett, 38, of Galloway, both appeared Monday in Delaware County Common Pleas Court to be sentenced for one count of failure to comply with order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony.
Prosecutors said that Byrd escaped the SEPTA Correctional Facility in Nelsonville on April 1 with the help of his girlfriend, Jarrett. Prosecutors said that on April 3, a friend of Jarrett’s contacted police and informed them that Jarrett and Byrd were in Delaware and officers from the City of Delaware Police Department attempted to pull over Jarrett and Byrd on London Road, but the couple fled.
Police report Jarrett drove herself and Byrd down U.S. 42 until they crossed into Union County, where they pulled off to the side of the road and surrendered to police. Prosecutors said speeds reached 70 miles per hour during the chase.
Jarrett pleaded guilty to the failure to comply charge at a hearing on June 28 and as part of the plea agreement, her attorney, Christopher Soon, and prosecutors would jointly recommend a 24-month prison sentence.
However, at the sentencing hearing on Monday, Assistant County Prosecutor Mark Sleeper said Jarrett had a change of heart about the agreement and Jarrett asked Delaware County Common Pleas Judge Everett Krueger to place her on community control.
“I was under the influence,” Jarrett said. “Please give me another chance.”
Jarrett told Krueger that since she has been in jail, she has lost custody of her children and lost a family member.
Before determining a sentence, Krueger reviewed her criminal record and noted that she has been unsuccessfully terminated from community control four times in the past and has only successfully completed it once.
Krueger went along with the plea agreement recommendation and sentenced Jarrett to 24 months in prison. Krueger credited her the 134 days she spent in the Delaware County Jail during the case and added that her license will be suspended for the next three years. Additionally, Krueger said Jarrett will face up to three years of post-release control after the conclusion of her prison term.
At Byrd’s sentencing hearing, Sleeper told Krueger that Byrd is currently serving out the rest of his initial prison term until November and said Byrd was sentenced to 18 months in prison in Athens County for an escape charge.
Byrd pleaded guilty to a charge of failure to comply at a hearing on June 29 as part of a plea agreement that would result in a joint recommendation of a one-year prison term.
Byrd’s attorney, Jonathan Klein, said that Byrd and Jarrett’s actions in April could have killed someone.
“His record is terrible,” Klein said. “He’s made some stupid, stupid decisions.”
Byrd didn’t say anything in his defense at the hearing.
Krueger said he was satisfied with the recommendation and sentenced Byrd to one year in prison. He credited Byrd 45 days in jail and said he also faces a three-year-license suspension and period of post-release control.
Krueger said Byrd will begin serving his one-year sentence at the conclusion of his current prison term and the 18-month prison term from Athens County.
Byrd and Jarrett were being held in the Delaware County Jail Monday awaiting transports to prison.
