A Missouri man who was arrested in June in Yavapai County on charges of aggravated DUI, aggravated assault of a police officer and transportation of a narcotic was sentenced to 10 years in prison last Monday, reports The Daily Courier.
Elijah Hughes II was caught with 3 pounds of marijuana and 2.4 pounds of cocaine when he was pulled over for a traffic stop. Deputies became suspicious after they reportedly noticed Hughes was exhibiting nervous behavior. When they asked to search his car, Hughes allegedly try to flee.
Deputies say they stun gunned him to little effect, and Hughes allegedly grabbed one of the guns and threw it. He only surrendered with a "You got me, man" after one deputy put a service weapon to his head.
Hughes reportedly also has a criminal record in Missouri and has served time for second-degree murder.
Unfortunately for Hughes, Arizona has one of the strictest DUI laws in the country. An aggravated DUI is a felony crime that is punishable with multiple years of imprisonment. There are several reasons why a driver could be charged with an aggravated DUI, such as committing a third consecutive DUI within a seven-year period or committing a DUI on a suspended license.
During the sentencing hearing after he pleaded guilty to the charges, the judge blamed Elijah Hughes II's impairment for his poor choices.
"If you had not been under the influence, I believe you would not have made some of the choices you did," said Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Tina Ainley.
Related Resources:
- Find a Phoenix DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
- Aggravated DUI (FindLaw)
- DUI Suspect Accused of Assaulting Gilbert Police Officers (The Phoenix DUI Blog)
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