Officials in Morris County announced the sentencing of Isaac Zackery-Barnes, 24, of Newark.
According to authorities, on September 22, 2020, a Hanover Township Police Officer initiated a pursuit of Zackery-Barnes, after Zackery-Barnes failed to yield to the officer’s commands to pull over what was later discovered to be a stolen motor vehicle from Nutley, Essex County.
Officials say Zackery-Barnes created a risk of injury or death when he fled the scene, having swerved between lanes of traffic.
At times he traveled on the wrong side of the roadway, ran a red light, left the road, hit a curb, all before continuing onto an entrance ramp to Route 287, where two tires were subsequently blown out due to his dangerous conduct.
The pursuit was ultimately terminated in Parsippany-Troy Hills, and the defendant was arrested following a short investigation.
Morris County officials said following the arrest of Zackery-Barnes, members of the Hanover Township Police Department reached out to members of the Morris County Auto Theft Task Force to assist with the investigation.
The agencies coordinated with neighboring counties to investigate if other vehicles were stolen.
On November 17, 2021, the Honorable Stephen J. Taylor, P.J.Cr., accepted Zackery-Barnes’ pleas of guilt to second-degree eluding a police officer and third-degree receiving stolen property for operating the stolen vehicle during the police pursuit.
On January 20, 2022, Zackery-Barnes was sentenced to nine (9) years in prison on the eluding charge and four (4) years concurrently in jail on the receiving stolen property charge.
Barnes also agreed to pay restitution to the victim.
This resolution resulted from excellent police work by the Hanover Township Police Department, the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department, the Morris County Auto Theft Task Force, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Intelligence Unit.