Pocatello man sentenced to probation for high-speed chase
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POCATELLO — A man who led police officers on a chase that concluded with a breaking-in entry at a home in Pocatello has been ordered to serve probation.
Levi James Shoemaker, 43, pleaded guilty to one felony count of fleeing an officer after reaching a plea agreement with the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office, court records show. In exchange, two felony counts of possessing a controlled substance and one felony count of unlawful entry while fleeing arrest were dismissed.
During an April 8 hearing, Shoemaker was sentenced to five years of felony probation by District Judge Robert Naftz, who suspended a prison sentence of two to five years.
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Shoemaker was arrested following a failed attempt to evade officers last May.
While on patrol on North 7th Avenue, Pocatello police officers attempted a traffic stop on a Ford truck that was reportedly tied to a recent theft. The truck did not stop, however, instead speeding away.
Officers followed the truck at a safe distance until they found it abandoned on Willard Avenue. They were informed by a passerby that two men exited the truck and ran — and one of the men went inside a nearby home.
When officers found the man, identified as Shoemaker, he admitted he was the driver of the truck during the chase.
Naftz ordered a 120-day discretionary jail sentence accompanying Shoemaker’s probation.
In addition to the probation, Shoemaker was ordered to pay $864.50 in fees and fines. His driving privileges have been suspended for one year.