A man who led police on a high-speed chase in a stolen car, reaching 130 mph on Interstate 15 in Iron County, has been sentenced in connection with the pursuit.
Maurice Terae Chavarry, 30, was sentenced in the 5th District Court in Cedar City by Judge Meb Anderson. Chavarry was sentenced to serve one to 15 years in the Utah State Prison.
The night of Nov. 7, 2025, the suspect led police on a high-speed chase in a stolen Dodge Charger. After the car lost a tire just off a ramp on I-15, Chavarry fled on foot. Officers from multiple agencies were able to track the suspect in Paragonah and take him into custody. Upon arrest, Chavarry provided the police with a fake name and birthday.
The suspect pleaded guilty on Dec. 2 to receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle, a second-degree felony. As part of a plea agreement, several of the original charges were dropped, including failing to stop at the command of police, a third-degree felony and a misdemeanor charge for providing the police with false information.
“I talked with my client about what he’s been doing while he’s been incarcerated here, and it’s my understanding that he has met with a therapist at the jail and has even been trying to get a mental health evaluation,” public defender Richard Smith said. “I believe he’s been meeting with a therapist fairly regularly, and he recognizes and has expressed to me, for the first time, that he needs help.”
Chavarry has multiple parole violations dating back to 2022, which made prosecutor Trajan Evans push for a stricter punishment. He argued that Chavarry also claimed that he was borrowing the car from a friend.
Chavarry has already begun his sentence at the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison.
Author: Andrew Streeter
Photo courtesy Jeff Richards
Editor: Hannah Clove
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