Ft Worth Man Arrested on Drug Charges After 2 Hour Car Chase

A Ft. Worth man, Joe Ben Gonzales, was arrested by police after he led them on a two hour pursuit from Ft. Worth to Arlington. Police recovered over 400 grams of methamphetamine when they searched Gonzales car. He was charged with felony possession of meth over 400 grams and felony evading arrest. Records show Gonzales has previous convictions for Aggravate Robbery and Unlawful Weapons Possession.

The chase began after officers pulled Zero Tolerance officers stopped the vehicle during a drug investigation. A woman driving the car stepped out of the vehicle and then Gonzales, who was in the passenger seat, got behind the wheel and drove away. Most of the chases was followed live on local TV news stations.

Possession of Methamphetamine of over 400 grams is a very serious charge in Texas. Prosecutors will view Gonzales as a high level drug dealer and probably seek a lengthy prison sentence. His previous record and the fact that the chase was on live TV will make defense of Gonzales case difficult. However an experienced criminal lawyer will find facts to work with. For example, Gonzales behavior during the chase seemed strange. Much of the chase was at very low speeds. Gonzales stared at TV cameras and seemed some what dazed. He was in long discussions with officers on his cell phone. Those conversations and his demeanor could b every important in his defense.