PORT ANGELES — Kenneth S. “Tiny” Johnson, 35, pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of first-degree robbery, attempting to elude police and failure to register as a sex offender, and was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison.
Before agreeing to the plea bargain, the Carlsborg man had faced a Dec. 14 trial on charges of robbery, eluding police and theft of two vehicles after a high-speed chase through the Sequim area Oct. 25.
Superior Court Judge Erik S. Rohrer sentenced Johnson to 10 years and nine months in state custody for robbery, followed by 1½ years of community custody, as recommended by the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
He also will serve concurrent sentences of nearly two years — 22 months — for eluding police and four years, nine months for failure to register.
He will be required to pay $2,600 in fines, as well as victim restitution, which will be determined in a later hearing.
Sought drug treatment
Johnson requested that the court have him undergo treatment for methamphetamine addiction.
“I would not have done these crimes if I had been sober. I haven’t been sober in two years,” Johnson said.
He asked that Rohrer consider drug treatment options to help him become sober.
“You are not going to like the kind of options I am considering,” Rohrer said.
Rohrer said Johnson was not eligible to enter the kind of intensive treatment program he likely preferred but could take advantage of drug treatment programs offered in prison.
“I was thinking of a greater amount of time in custody,” Rohrer said, adding that he chose to agree to the recommendation from the prosecuting attorney’s office.
High-speed chase
The robbery and eluding-police charges stem from a high-speed chase that began in the Sequim city limit, ended 25 miles away in Discovery Bay in Jefferson County and allegedly involved Johnson’s use of a shotgun during a carjacking.
“From Sequim to Discovery Bay, he wreaked havoc,” said Michele Devlin, deputy prosecuting attorney.
He was wanted by authorities for allegedly failing to register a change of address as a high-risk sex offender.
Past convictions
Johnson has past convictions of first-degree child molestation and third-degree rape.
He was a passenger in a Subaru when it was stopped by authorities at 1:11 a.m. the day of his arrest.
He moved over to the driver’s seat while the driver was being questioned, took the keys and sped away from the intersection of North Second Avenue and West Spruce Street, authorities said.
He reached speeds of 80 mph and failed to stop at seven stop signs, sheriff’s deputies said.
Police accounts
According to the police report, Johnson left the vehicle at the intersection of Maple Street and South Sequim Avenue and pointed a shotgun at the driver of a Mazda Miata, Dane Duben of Carlsborg, who was stopped in front of him.
Johnson pulled Duben from the car, jumped in and continued fleeing from police, authorities said.
Police deployed spike strips and brought the Miata to a stop in Discovery Bay, where they took Johnson into custody.
Johnson has told the court that he has Hodgkin’s lymphoma and has six months to live.
Clallam Sheriff Bill Benedict said he doubted that assertion, saying that Johnson has said for years that he has a terminal illness but that Benedict is unaware of the condition.
Johnson’s attorney, Larry Freedman, had been authorized to review his medical records. He could not be reached for comment Thursday.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsula dailynews.com.
