Jacob Kiefer
CHEBOYGAN COUNTY, MI -- A 27-year-old Cheboygan man led police on a 15-minute-long vehicle chase that spanned two counties before he was arrested on three felony charges.
The fleeing driver, Jacob Stanley Kiefer, reached speeds as fast as 90 mph during the pursuit before he crashed his vehicle on U.S. 31, according to police. He has since been arraigned on two charges of possession with intent to deliver narcotics, as well as third-degree fleeing and eluding police.
Each possession charge carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, plus a maximum penalty of five years for fleeing police. Because he's being charged as a habitual offender, Kiefer's sentence could be more severe.
Cheboygan County Undersheriff Tim Cook said Kiefer was arrested with one-half ounce of "molly" -- a mixture of ecstasy and methamphetamine in powder form -- and a large bag of pills.
Police said they are investigating whether Kiefer could be linked to a pair of overdoses that occurred last week in Northern Michigan. In both incidents, the individuals survived.
Police attempted to perform a traffic stop around 1:15 p.m. Monday, July 31, on Wing Road near M-27 (North Straits Highway) in Cheboygan County. The stop was the result of a felony drug investigation that had been ongoing for 10-12 days, according to police.
Kiefer did not stop when police activated their lights and siren, police said. He instead sped down Riggsville Road, through the west end of Cheboygan to Levering Road and into Emmet County.
Kiefer's pickup truck later side-swiped a vehicle as he drove through a stop sign. The collision caused him to spin out before he struck a patrol car. No one was injured in either collision, police said.
The truck continued onto U.S. 31, where Kiefer's vehicle drove off the road into a ditch. A short foot pursuit ensued before Kiefer was apprehended, police said.
Cook said the department's pursuit policy is situational. In this case, he said, the officer made the right call to pursue the suspect who was a "danger to the community."
"We know what he's alleged to be serving can be a lethal combination," Cook said. "It had to come to a stop. It's a dangerous situation he's bringing into our community."
Kiefer is being held at the Cheboygan County Jail on a $500,000 cash bond. He is due back in court Aug. 10.
In March 2014, Kiefer was convicted of delivering and manufacturing a controlled substance, according to Michigan Department of Corrections records. He was imprisoned for more than three years before being discharged April 19, 2017.
He also was convicted of operating while intoxicated, maintaining a drug house and possessing a controlled substance in connection to an August 2010 arrest.
Assisting the Cheboygan County Sheriff's Department in the investigation and arrest were personnel from Michigan State Police, Cheboygan Department of Public Safety and Emmet County Sheriff's Department.