By Lyra Bordelon
Andrew Wolfe was sentenced to five years of probation, with requirements for substance abuse evaluations and battery interventions, for his role in a law enforcement chase during a search for a missing juvenile.
A press release issued on January 15, 2020, noted a missing juvenile was believed to be with Wolfe, then aged 22. While fleeing from law enforcement, Wolfe was traveling in excess of 70 miles per hour in a 35 zone, and chased in a curve on Route 20. Wolfe was charged with reckless fleeing from an officer in August 2020 by a Greenbrier County Grand Jury, a charge he pled guilty to in January.
On Monday, March 1, the case moved forward to sentencing. Dent noted his history caused her alarm.
“Mr. Wolfe, what concerns me most about the presentence report, other than the substance use, [is that] you’re 23 years old and although … this is your first felony, you have a significant criminal history in misdemeanors,” said Dent. “… What’s concerning most about those is they’re batteries, assaults, telephone harassment, shoplifting, a protective order violation, another domestic battery, knowingly making a false alarm of a fire, … and pending additional domestic assaults, domestic battery, and destruction of property. Although they’re misdemeanor offenses, they’re quite significant.”
Public safety was also a concern for Dent; “the charge to which you plead is reckless fleeing from an officer that put the public’s safety at risk. So there seems to be a general underlying theme of no concern for the safety of others and that concerns me.”
Wolfe was sentenced to one to five years, then placed on probation for a five-year time period. Included in probation is the requirement for psychological evaluation, including for substance abuse and participation in the Greenbrier County Day Report’s Batterer Intervention and Prevention Program. Also included is the requirement that Wolfe remain employed during probation.
“Because it is recommended by the parties, I’m going to place you on a period of probation of five years,” Dent said. “… Looking at your history as a young, 23-year-old I want to make it clear that in the event that you would violate any laws, then that could be a violation of your probation and what you’re looking at is one to five in the department of corrections.”