Taunton Man Sentenced After High-Speed Drug Chase Sickens Trooper

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — A Taunton man has been sentenced to up to a decade in state prison on multiple drug charges while also serving a concurrent sentence of up to five years for an assault with a motor vehicle and two years for reckless operation of a motor vehicle. The charges are related to an incident where he was chased by state police and made one sick by dumping drugs on his vehicle during the pursuit.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced that Leonard Vargus, 51, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on October 14 for charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, flurofentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as charges of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon, and leaving the scene of property damage.

High-Speed Pursuit on Route 24

The charges date back to April 14, 2023, when a Massachusetts State Trooper stopped a vehicle on Route 138 in Raynham for a license plate violation. Vargus was the driver of the vehicle, with a female passenger. The woman made a move toward the center console during the stop, and she was ordered to exit the vehicle. As she was being escorted to the trooper’s cruiser, Vargus took off at a high rate of speed, driving in excess of 90 miles an hour down the center line of the roadway as the trooper was in pursuit.

During the chase, Vargus emptied several bags of drugs out of the sunroof of his vehicle, which hit the cruiser that was behind him. As he got to Route 24, he struck another vehicle while illegally passing vehicles, and did not stop. He continued throwing plastic baggies out of his vehicle on 24, and drove directly at another trooper who had deployed a spike strip. The trooper had to dive out of the way to avoid being struck.

Trooper Sickened by Airborne Fentanyl

The spike strip popped Vargus’ tires, but he kept driving for several miles, and the trooper who had been in pursuit and whose car was struck by the drugs radioed for EMS as he began to feel ill. He then collapsed when he was approaching Vargus’ stopped vehicle. Other troopers had to revive him with Narcan and he was taken to a local hospital, where he recovered.

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Drugs Recovered and Tested

State police located several of the bags Vargus had discarded and submitted them for testing at the State Crime Lab. They tested positive for fentanyl, flurofentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine.

Defendant’s Criminal Record and Prior Cases

The D.A.’s Office said Vargus has a lengthy record of assault and drug charges, and at the time of his arrest in this case, he was free on bail pending a separate drug case in Suffolk Superior Court. He also pleaded guilty to a narcotics case in 2024 and received a state prison sentence of three to four years.

The D.A. previously referred to Vargus as a "career criminal" when he was sentenced in 2019 for attacking a delivery driver with a knife.

D.A. Quinn's Statement on Vargus' Latest Conviction

“The defendant engaged in reckless and lawless conduct with a total disregard for the lives and safety of innocent people while tossing drugs onto the highway,” Quinn said. “He has a significant criminal history and simply needs to be kept off the street to protect society.”