Military

Prison for Missouri Fugitive Who Rammed Stolen SUV Into 2 Lawmen

August 19, 2022Carl Prine
The oldest federal law enforcement agency, the US Marshals Service boasts 94 marshals who oversee 3,953 deputy marshals and criminal investigators nationwide. US Marshals Service photo by Shane T. McCoy.

The oldest federal law enforcement agency, the US Marshals Service boasts 94 marshals who oversee 3,953 deputy marshals and criminal investigators nationwide. US Marshals Service photo by Shane T. McCoy.

A Missouri fugitive who injured two federal agents in late 2020 by ramming a stolen SUV into them gets to stay behind bars for the rest of the decade.

On Thursday, Aug. 18, in Kansas City, Senior US District Judge Howard F. Sachs sentenced Ray E. Clevenger, 47, to 10 years and 10 months in a federal penitentiary.

He’s been incarcerated at the medium-security US Penitentiary Leavenworth since New Year’s Eve in 2020, but the judge ordered him transferred to Federal Correctional Institution El Reno in Oklahoma or FCI Greenville in Illinois to undergo extensive drug and alcohol addiction treatment.

Clevenger’s court-appointed attorney did not return Coffee or Die Magazine’s messages seeking comment.

missouri fugitive

On Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022, Missouri fugitive Ray E. Clevenger, 47, was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in a federal penitentiary. He'll finish his sentence in either Federal Correctional Institution El Reno in Oklahoma or FCI Greenville in Illionis. Composite by Coffee or Die Magazine.

Clevenger had faced up to 20 years in a federal penitentiary and a $250,000 fine after pleading guilty on Jan. 5, 2022, to forcibly resisting the two deputy US marshals he injured, Jordan Rewald and Joshua Kohler.

Armed with a Missouri arrest warrant tied to a Jackson County shooting, on Dec. 30, 2020, a law enforcement team descended on a Quality Inn in Kansas City where Clevenger had holed up. As he and a woman entered a dark blue Ford Explorer SUV, the agents activated the lights on their cruisers and moved in to nab the wanted fugitive.

Thanks to Clevenger, the scene swiftly devolved into a demolition derby.

Clevenger slammed the truck into a squad car and peeled off, tires squealing as he tried to flee the parking lot. Kohler speared his SUV into the truck to keep the fugitive from escaping, spinning the vehicle, but Clevenger regained control and sped across the grass and motel sidewalk.

missouri fugitive

The oldest federal law enforcement agency, the US Marshals Service boasts 94 marshals who oversee 3,953 deputy marshals and criminal investigators nationwide. US Marshals Service photo. 

Deputy US Marshal Nathan Ruebhausen’s vehicle blocked Clevenger, striking the SUV’s rear wheel well. So the fugitive doubled back and rammed Kohler’s SUV, plowing it into both a fence and Rewald’s vehicle.

And then Rewald’s vehicle pinballed into Rewald, who had left his seat to arrest Clevenger.

Clevenger’s crumpled SUV came to a stop, the air bag deployed.

Law enforcement moved in and arrested him.

Inside the stolen SUV, agents found a black Springfield Armory Model XD .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun loaded with an extended magazine with a dozen rounds inside and one in the chamber; a makeup case with 69 grams of methamphetamine and 4 grams of marijuana; two digital scales; and ledgers recording various transactions.

missouri fugitive

The oldest federal law enforcement agency, the US Marshals Service boasts 94 marshals who oversee 3,953 deputy marshals and criminal investigators nationwide. US Marshals Service photo.

The SUV Clevenger crashed went missing in Missouri’s Platte County a month before the melee in the motel parking lot.

His handgun was traced to a stolen firearms report issued by the Fargo Police Department in North Dakota.

Clevenger’s rap sheet dates back a decade and includes convictions for narcotics possession, tampering with a motor vehicle, and multiple firearms charges.

Angry that those criminal cases had hiked his chances for a lengthy federal prison sentence, on July 15 Clevenger penned a jailhouse letter to the judge, asking to both withdraw his guilty plea and fire his defense attorney.

The judge retained Clevenger’s lawyer and his plea agreement remained, too.

Read Next: Colorado Mourns Lawman Gunned Down by US Air Force Employee

Carl Prine
Carl Prine

Carl Prine is a former senior editor at Coffee or Die Magazine. He has worked at Navy Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He served in the Marine Corps and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. His awards include the Joseph Galloway Award for Distinguished Reporting on the military, a first prize from Investigative Reporters & Editors, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
dear jack mandaville
Dear Jack: Which Historic Battle Would You Want To Witness?

Ever wonder how much Jack Mandaville would f*ck sh*t up if he went back in time? The American Revolution didn't even see him coming.

west point time capsule
West Point Time Capsule Yields Centuries-Old Coins

A nearly 200-year-old West Point time capsule that at first appeared to yield little more than dust contains hidden treasure, the US Military Academy said.

Ouija Board aircraft carrier
Low-Tech ‘Ouija Boards’ Have Helped Aircraft Carriers Operate for Decades

Since the 1920s, a low-tech tabletop replica of an aircraft carrier’s flight deck has been an essential tool in coordinating air operations.

Army vs. Navy mascot
The Navy Goat vs. the Army Mule: Mascot Origin Stories

For nearly as long as the Army-Navy football rivalry, the academies’ hoofed mascots have stared each other down from the sidelines. Here are their stories.

ukraine long-range weapon
Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Has Developed a Long-Range Weapon, a Day After Strike Deep Inside Russia

Zelenskyy said on his Telegram channel the weapon was produced by Ukraine’s Ministry of Strategic Industries but gave no other details.

ambush
7 of the Best Movie Ambush Scenes of All Time

Ambushes make for great action scenes. Here are seven of the best to ever grace the big screen.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, with his daughter, center right, reportedly named Ju Ae, review the honor guard during their visit to the navy headquarter in North Korea
North Korea Launches Missile Toward Sea After US Flies Bomber During Drills

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the launch occurred Wednesday but gave no further details, such as how far the missile flew.

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
Contact Us
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved