Ephrata man sentenced in 2023 speeding, drug case
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 6 months AGO
Benjamin Earl Garfield pleaded guilty to three counts on Sept. 22. On May 26, 2023, a Grant County Sheriff’s Office Deputy on a motorcycle sped after Garfield, who was on a stolen motorcycle, at around 130 miles per hour. Garfield collided with another vehicle and fled on foot before the deputy eventually cuffed and booked him. Garfield had methamphetamine, fentanyl and a scale in his possession when he was arrested.
GCSO PHOTO
EPHRATA — An Ephrata man was sentenced to more than 11 years Tuesday in connection with leading law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase in 2023, according to Grant County Superior Court documents.
Benjamin Earl Garfield, 35, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Grant County Superior Court to three counts: the first for possession of a stolen vehicle, the second for attempting to elude a police vehicle and the third for violation of the Uniform Controlled Substance Act for manufacturing, delivering or possessing with intent to sell or distribute a Schedule I or Schedule II drug.
Judge Tyson R. Hill sentenced Garfield to 33 months of total confinement for count one, 22 months for count two and 45 months of total confinement plus 45 months of community custody for count three.
Garfield has an offender score of eight, according to court documents. The offender score is the sum of points from prior and current convictions with considerations of community custody and time between offenses, according to Washington state law. The score impacts the minimum and maximum amount of time a convicted offender must serve.
According to the May 26, 2023, Grant County Sheriff’s Office statement, a GCSO deputy, on a motorcycle, was parked in a private driveway with his engine off in the 11000 block of Baseline Road outside Moses Lake. The deputy heard a vehicle revving its engine at what the deputy assumed was a high speed. However, there was a hill, and the deputy couldn't see anything until a red and white motorcycle came over the hill.
The motorcycle appeared to be traveling at a high rate of speed, according to the statement. The deputy received a reading of 119 miles per hour on radar and was the only vehicle in the area at the time.
The deputy then started his bike and pulled out of the driveway to attempt to stop the motorcycle. The deputy noted that as the bike, ridden by Garfield, sped by the officer, he looked at the deputy and waved then revved the engine and sped away, picking up more speed.
The deputy then chased Garfield at around 125-130 miles per hour; however, the deputy was not catching up. Garfield activated his brakes and went around a vehicle stopped at the Baseline Road East and Potato Hill Road stop sign. The motorcycle then attempted to travel northbound on Potato Hill Road northeast of Baseline Road East.
However, Garfield collided with a vehicle also traveling northbound on Potato Hill Road. The motorcycle collided in a “side sweep” manner and tipped, causing Garfield to fall to the ground.
The deputy arrived at the scene as Garfield was trying to lift the motorcycle into an upright position. The deputy told Garfield to stop, and Garfield yelled back, “NO!” and fled the scene. The deputy followed on his motorcycle but eventually started chasing Garfield on foot behind the Grant County Fire District 5 station.
Eventually, the deputy caught Garfield on the lawn behind the fire station and a residence, at which point Garfield was arrested.
After the helmet was removed and Garfield was detained, the deputy recognized him from previous contacts. Garfield refused to allow medics to evaluate him and only wanted to go to jail.
The Multi-Agency Communications Center let the deputy know the motorcycle had been recently stolen out of Ellensburg. When the deputy questioned Garfield on the matter, he said that he paid $500 for the motorcycle; Garfield had a feeling it was stolen but bought it anyway. Garfield then said he should have stopped and “took the ticket.”
Another GCSO deputy arrived at the scene to transport Garfield. Garfield told the second deputy that he had approximately six ounces of methamphetamine in his backpack as well as an unspecified amount of fentanyl. Garfield's backpack was searched, and the deputies found a large amount of individually packaged methamphetamine. There were also crushed fentanyl pills. Garfield also had about $100 in small bills, small plastic baggies and a scale.
The combination of the large amount of individually wrapped methamphetamine, the scale, small plastic bags and cash in small bills, led the deputy to believe that Garfield was selling or distributing methamphetamine.
Garfield was taken to Samaritan Hospital to be medically cleared, then booked into Grant County Jail.
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