SOUTH GEORGIA (WALB) - A man from the South Georgia area was sentenced on July 24 after officials said he admitted to having methamphetamine in his possession while he was fleeing from law enforcement.

Joshua Keith Thompson, 37, was sentenced to over 16 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

This comes after Thompson was stopped by a Georgia State Patrol (GSP) trooper for not wearing a seatbelt on March 25, 2023. Officials said the trooper noticed a clear plastic baggie in the car that was later confirmed to contain methamphetamine.

At the time of the traffic stop, a K-9 alerted the passenger side of the vehicle, so Thompson was told he would be put under arrest. Then, officials said Thompson took off running from the trooper. Thompson was detained after he tripped while running.

In a previous incident, Thompson pled guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on April 22.

“Joshua Thompson has repeatedly shown he has no respect for the laws of our country,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “FBI Atlanta will continue to work with our partners to bring to justice those who continue to break the law and harm our communities.”

Several agencies investigated this case including GSP, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Atlanta office’s Valdosta Resident Agency, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Department of Public Safety.

Officials said Thompson has a lengthy criminal history in the South Georgia area. That history includes convictions in Cook County, Crisp County and Lowndes County, according to a press release. His prior convictions include possession of controlled substances, theft by taking, burglary and more, officials said.

At the time of his sentencing, Thompson lived in Morven. Officials said he previously lived in Adel. He was sentenced to 200 months in prison.

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