A Marietta man who tried to evade capture on federal charges in 2018 by dragging the arresting FBI agent with his truck, severely injuring him, was sentenced Monday to 26 years in federal prison.
Cedrick Hill, 31, was found guilty of assaulting a federal agent and distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Ryan K. Buchanan said in a statement.
Monday’s sentencing hearing brought Hill’s case to a close after more than five years. Hill was convicted on all counts in August 2022, but his sentencing hearing was delayed as he requested multiple new attorneys, court records show.
The case began when Hill was named as one of 30 defendants in a wide-ranging federal gang and drug indictment in October 2017, Buchanan said. Hill was accused of trafficking meth, selling six kilograms of the illegal drug to gang members across two transactions.
He escaped immediate arrest by leaving the metro Atlanta area and traveling to other states using buses and rental cars. Months after the indictment, in January 2018, he was located by the FBI at a hotel in Sandy Springs, Buchanan said. An FBI agent found Hill in the lobby and tried to place him under arrest, but the fugitive took off, Buchanan said.
Hill reached his white Chevrolet Silverado with the agent in hot pursuit, according to the U.S. attorney. The agent reached the truck’s door in time to prevent Hill from closing it, but Hill started the vehicle and began to drive away with the agent hanging on, his arm pinned in the door.
Hill accelerated, dragging the agent through the parking lot and hitting the door on various stationary objects, using it to crush the agent, Buchanan said. The attempts to shake the agent loose seriously injured him, and he clung to the truck despite a broken arm and femur.
The agent was eventually able to pull his gun and shoot Hill twice, but Hill continued to drive, guiding the truck out of the parking lot and across I-285 before turning down an access road, the U.S. attorney said. Finally, Hill stopped the truck and opened the door, allowing the injured agent to call 911 and request medical help for them both.
The agent, who was not publicly identified, spent two weeks in the hospital and required 18 months of physical rehabilitation. He suffered nerve damage in his arm and other lasting injuries, Buchanan said. Hill’s gunshot wounds were not life-threatening.
“Anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer is dangerous and an extreme threat to public safety. Hill showed absolutely no regard for the life of our agent and caused him extreme harm. We are thankful that the agent has fully recovered, and Hill is finally being held accountable for his crimes,” said Keri Farley, special agent of FBI Atlanta.
Hill was found guilty of assaulting a federal officer, distributing meth and simple assault, court records show. There is no parole in the federal prison system, so he will serve the entirety of his 26-year sentence in confinement.
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