ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A St. Augustine man has been sentenced after attempting to elude deputies in a chase that saw him toss out a backpack with more than 980 grams of meth onto a roadway, a release from the Department of Justice said.
Andrew Harp, 31, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court records, Harp pleaded guilty on May 27, 2022.
SJSO's Special Investigation Unit tied Harp's arrest to a South Carolina jail involving Zachariah Luke, who was using contraband cell phones to facilitate acquiring and distributing large amounts of methamphetamine, along co-conspirators like Harp and Evin Davenport, the agency said in a social media post.
According to court documents, on Nov. 24, 2021, a St. Johns County Sheriff's Office deputy saw Harp commit a traffic offense in St. Johns County and signaled for him to pull over. Harp was speeding in a residential neighborhood and evaded deputies, though a police helicopter began tracked the speeding car and its pilot saw an object being thrown from the car.
A deputy located a backpack on the side of the road with a plastic bag containing approximately 988.3 grams of crystal methamphetamine inside, a pouch containing approximately 28.2 grams of THC wax and nine rounds of .380 ammunition. A fingerprint examiner later determined Harp’s fingerprints were on the methamphetamine’s packaging, the release said.
Harp abandoned the car near a dead-end and attempted to hide in a nearby wooded area, the release said. Deputies located Harp and arrested him with help from a police canine and helicopter.
Deputies searched the abandoned vehicle and found approximately 74.5 grams of marijuana and a loaded .380 pistol. Harp was also prohibited by law from possessing firearms or ammunition, the release said.
