Lansing Man Sentenced To 10 Years For Drugs And Firearm After Fleeing In High-Speed Car Chase

          GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN —U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced today that Eugene Jonas Hicks, age 38, of Lansing, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substances and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Janet T. Neff imposed a 4-year term of supervised release, which will begin when Hicks is released from prison.  Hicks was previously convicted of multiple prior felonies, including home invasion and aggravated stalking.

          On May 12, 2021, law enforcement officers in Lansing attempted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Hicks in Lansing.  A high-speed vehicle pursuit followed.  During the pursuit, Hicks threw a loaded Taurus .357 revolver from the vehicle.  Hicks also threw plastic bags containing cocaine, cocaine base, and methamphetamine from the sunroof.  These items could have been accessible to the public had they not been recovered by law enforcement.  Hicks disregarded stop signs and red lights, driving into oncoming traffic.  The pursuit ultimately ended when Hicks crashed his vehicle in traffic, resulting in injuries to a passenger.  Hicks then attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended by authorities. 

          U.S. Attorney Totten said, “Drugs and guns are a toxic mix, which is only made worse when they are possessed by convicted felons and thrown out of vehicles onto our streets.  Our office will continue to work together with all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.”

          This case resulted from a coordinated investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lansing Police Department, Lansing’s Violent Crime Initiative Unit, and the Michigan State Police.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren F. Biksacky.

          This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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