Gerald Matthew Snyder

MOULTRIE — A man accused of fleeing twice from cops since his June arrest on  a marijuana possession charge that was upgraded to a felony now faces a lengthy list of charges.

The Georgia State Patrol initially charged Gerald Matthew Snyder on June 28 with misdemeanor marijuana possession. Snyder already had bonded out of jail on that charge when a warrant was issued charging him with possession of more than an ounce of marijuana. That charged was based on additional suspected marijuana the trooper later found under the seat of the car Snyder was driving, Colquitt County Sheriff’s Inv. Jerome Burgess said.

At about 4:25 p.m. Thursday, Burgess went to Snyder’s 570 Greenfield Church residence, where Snyder was siting behind the wheel of a red Nissan Frontier. When Burgess got out of his car, Snyder put the truck in gear and ignored orders to stop, Burgess’ report of the incident said.

He got back in his car and followed Snyder, who allegedly ran three stop signs during the pursuit before returning to Greenfield Church Road, where he pulled into a yard in the 200 block and eluded capture on foot.

The chase did not reach speeds of above 65 miles per hour, Burgess said, as it took a route down Greenfield Church Road. Snyder turned right onto Kilgore Road and continued until he turned left onto Highway 33 South before returning to Greenfield Church Road.

After learning the next day that Snyder was at a residence in the 100 block of Cepcot Meadows Drive, Burgess, a Moultrie Police Department drug officer and deputies converged on that location at about 3:20 p.m. 

Snyder ran through the back yard and jumped over a fence, fleeing into a wooded area and again escaping from police. 

During the course of the investigation, witnesses told police that Snyder had hidden marijuana and guns at a nearby residence. One of the witnesses lead officers to the location, where they found about four ounces of suspected marijuana and a pistol and rifle, both .22-caliber weapons.

At about 7 p.m. the same day the person who had bonded Snyder out on the initial misdemeanor marijuana charge brought him to the Colquitt County Jail, at which time he was arrested.

Snyder, 23, has been charged with possession of more than an ounce of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, two charges of obstruction of a police officer, reckless driving during a pursuit, three counts failure to stop at stop sign and two counts possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.