A Leesburg man will serve 15 months in state prison after racing away from a traffic stop in March.
Kareem Javon Goldwire, 39, pled no contest to fleeing or escaping a police officer during a hearing on Tuesday. Judge James Baxley found him guilty and awarded him a downward departure. His sentence, which would typically be five or more years under Florida law, was reduced to 15 months with credit for two days.
According to a Lake County affidavit of probable cause, the investigation began on Jan. 16, when a Leesburg officer observed Goldwire driving a red Ford car northbound on Georgia Avenue. The vehicle’s dark window tint caused a traffic stop at the intersection of Harlem Avenue and Stinson Street.
The officer had just established that the tint was too dark when a K-9 unit arrived on the scene. When they mentioned this to Goldwire, he accelerated away from the traffic stop. He was last spotted driving recklessly westbound on Industrial Street, with no regard for public safety.
He was eventually detained on March 1 by the Fruitland Park Police Department. He was booked into Lake County Jail and released after posting a $2,500 bond.
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