(Souh Bend, IN) - An Illinois man arrested in La Porte County two years ago has been sentenced in federal court.

In March of 2021, 40-year-old Martin Devalois of Romeoville, Illinois was the passenger in a car that was pulled over for tailgating on US 20. According to police, Devalois locked himself in the vehicle and drove off. Following a 15-mile chase that traversed woods, fields, highways, and county roads, he eventually crashed into a snowbank in downtown La Porte near the south side of Stone Lake. In addition to being charged with resisting arrest, Devalois was found to be a serious violent felon in possession of a firearm.

This week, after a two-day trial, a jury in South Bend’s U.S. District Court found him guilty of the gun charge. Devalois is scheduled for sentencing on March 29.

The case was investigated by the ATF, with help from the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department and the Indiana State Police Laboratory.