ST. GEORGE — Two men indicted on felony drug charges following a high-speed pursuit have been sentenced in federal court. One has been held in federal custody in Washington County. Both will spend years in prison.
Booking photo of Dylon Kelly, 20, of Grand Junction, Colo., following his arrest on Jan. 6, 2023 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News
The defendants, Dylon Kelly, 20, and Navin Daryan Wright, 21, both of Grand Junction, Colorado, appeared in U.S. District Court for sentencing on one count of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. One count of carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime was dismissed in exchange for a guilty plea.
The federal case was filed following a pursuit that took place in Richfield on Jan. 6, 2023, when a Utah Highway Patrol trooper noticed a gray BMW with Colorado plates traveling east on Interstate 70 at speeds over 90 mph. When the trooper pursued the car, the suspect reportedly sped off, reaching speeds over 100 mph and weaving through traffic before exiting the freeway in Richfield. During the chase, the report states, the driver of the BMW reportedly sped through town in excess of 80 mph, then got back on I-70 going the wrong way.
The fleeing vehicle struck a set of spike strips that were deployed near mile marker 48, and the car continued to travel at more than 90 mph with one shredded tire until it reached Salina, where Kelly and a female suspect jumped from the car and were taken into custody by police.
Wright, the back seat passenger, also fled from the car and remained at large for several hours while a multi-agency manhunt ensued. He was later located and arrested by officers backtracking the route Wright reportedly took while evading authorities.
Two bundles of suspected fentanyl pills were found along the suspect’s route near a building, as well as a larger package that contained approximately 1 pound of fentanyl powder found beneath a vehicle parked nearby.
Both Wright and Kelly were arrested and booked into the Sevier County Jail on multiple charges, including felony theft of a firearm, evading and drug distribution.
Two months later, in March 2023, the case was brought to a federal grand jury, and both men were indicted on the distribution and weapons charges.
Following Wright’s arrest, he was ordered to be held at a federal correctional facility while awaiting trial, as opposed to a county jail. Wright entered a guilty plea to the fentanyl charge on April 22, and the firearms charge was dismissed as part of the plea agreement approved by U.S. District Judge David Nuffer.
Booking photo of Navin Daryan Wright, 21, of Grand Junction, Colo., following his arrest on Jan. 6, 2023 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News
Wright was sentenced on the charges on July 11. He was ordered to serve 67 months in a federal correctional facility, followed by five years of post-prison supervision. The judge also recommended that he serve out his sentence at the federal facility in Englewood, Colorado, to facilitate family visitation.
Following Kelly’s arrest, he was extradited to Mesa County, Colorado, on a $10,000 warrant. Two months later, he was picked up by the U.S. Marshals Service and returned to Utah to be held in Washington County. Kelly entered into a similar plea agreement as Wright on Dec. 4, 2023, wherein he pleaded guilty to the distribution charge in exchange for the weapons charge being dismissed.
On April 4, Kelly appeared before the same federal judge during a sentencing hearing held in the U.S. District Court in St. George. He was sentenced to serve 72 months in federal prison, followed by five years of post-prison supervision. The judge also recommended to the Board of Pardons that Kelly serve his sentence at the federal facility in Sheridan, Oregon, so he could be closer to family.
Kelly was then ordered to participate in substance abuse treatment while incarcerated, as well as any available vocational, educational or GED programs.
Both men have since been transported to their designated prison facilities to begin serving out their sentences.
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