Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Valdosta Man with Lengthy Criminal Past Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Guns
ALBANY, Ga. — A Valdosta resident with a lengthy criminal history in the community was sentenced to prison this week for illegally possessing firearms as he led police on a high-speed chase in an effort to escape arrest.
Kendrick Terrell Pryor, 41, was sentenced to serve 165 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Sands on Feb. 1, after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Pryor is not eligible for parole.
“The defendant reached speeds of 120 miles per hour and drove through a residential section of Valdosta without regard for the safety of others as he attempted to outrun law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Felons who consistently demonstrate a total disregard for the law and are found in possession of deadly weapons will find their cases getting federal attention. Our office is working alongside local, state and federal law enforcement to hold repeat offenders accountable.”
“Convicted felons cannot possess guns and will face serious consequences for having them,” said Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “This sentencing ensures that Kendrick Pryor is held accountable for his crime and is removed from the community for a long time, where he will not be able to harm others.”
“We are thankful for the collaboration between our office and our federal partners to help remove dangerous repeat offenders with guns off the streets,” said Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk.
According to facts presented in court, deputies with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office attempted to pull Pryor over for suspected impaired driving in Valdosta, Georgia, on July 3, 2022. Pryor refused to pull over and a pursuit ensued. Pryor drove his car at speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour—including through a residential section—and ran stop signs and red lights in an attempt to escape the deputy. Law enforcement was forced to perform a successful PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) Maneuver to stop the car, and Pryor was taken into custody. Inside Pryor’s car, officers found a .22 caliber firearm on the driver’s floorboard; a 9mm handgun on the passenger’s floorboard; a 50-round drum magazine for a 9mm firearm; and a quantity of methamphetamine, oxycodone pills and cocaine. Pryor has at least six drug possession and distribution felony convictions in Lowndes County Superior Court as well as one conviction for theft by taking. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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 by bringing together a broad spectrum of stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities; supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place; setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities; and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and ATF.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Daniels prosecuted the case for the Government.
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