A Beardstown man captured after a manhunt near Lake Jacksonville earlier this summer was sentenced to prison in Morgan County Court on Tuesday afternoon.
39-year old Devin D. Fair pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine less than 5 grams. Charges of aggravated battery to a peace officer and reckless driving were dropped per the plea.
The charges stem from a June 19th incident in which South Jacksonville Police attempted to serve a warrant on Fair, who had been staying at the Baymont Hotel. Fair fled from officers on foot. According to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department, a deputy shortly after entered the chase after being on patrol in the area. Fair resisted arrest after going back to the hotel and then entered his personal vehicle, a black GMC SUV. A 10-minute vehicle pursuit ended when officers lost sight of Fair’s vehicle. Murrayville-Woodson Police Chief Derek Suttles soon located Fair and his vehicle near Point 2 at Lake Jacksonville. Fair then was chased into a cornfield. Officers soon came to the lake and set up a perimeter and deployed a drone for overhead visual locating assistance. Officers soon located Fair and another foot pursuit ensued before he was finally apprehended near Point 9 after a citizen tackled him to the ground after seeing him running from police. Officers of the Jacksonville Police Department then took Fair into custody without further incident.
Fair currently still has outstanding charges of methamphetamine delivery and possession of drug paraphernalia awaiting in Cass County and felony weapon possession, possession of a stolen vehicle, and unlawful display of title charges in Greene County awaiting dispositions from separate arrests.
Fair was sentenced in Morgan County on Tuesday to 5 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, 6 months of mandatory supervised release, ordered to pay a $500 county fine plus fees and court costs. He was given credit for 93 days served in the Morgan County Jail.