A Pecatonica man has been sentenced to 18 months periodic imprisonment for fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer during a high-speed chase in January.

Jered T. Vautsmeier, 22, pleaded guilty Dec. 4 to the misdemeanor offense when he appeared in Ogle County Circuit Court with his attorney, Glenn Jazwiec.

Charges of driving with a suspended license and four traffic-related charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Under the plea agreement, Judge John “Ben” Roe agreed to sentence Vautsmeier to serve 189 days in the Ogle County Jail, starting Jan. 20, 2026.

Vautsmeier was initially charged with fleeing from Ogle County sheriff’s deputies following a 6:24 p.m. traffic stop on Jan. 6 near Polo.

Information released by the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office at that time said that at one point, Vautsmeier was traveling 125 mph in a 55-mph speed zone.

“The vehicle fled from deputies at a high rate of speed until the pursuit was terminated for safety concerns. The vehicle was located a short time later in Leaf River and again fled from deputies. The pursuit was again terminated a short time after it entered Winnebago County,” said a sheriff’s department release.

Vautsmeier and his vehicle were found by Pecatonica police in Winnebago County, where Ogle County deputies took custody of Vautsmeier.

Original charges included driving on a suspended license charge, driving more than 35 mph over the speed limit, improper lane usage, disregarding a traffic control device, improper display of registration and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

Those charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Leisten told Roe that Vautsmeier had “willfully failed or refused to obey” an Ogle County deputy’s signal to stop his vehicle.

Vautsmeier was ordered to pay $370 in fines and costs and received one day credit for time already served in the Ogle County Jail.

Periodic imprisonment allows non-violent offenders to serve jail time in intermittent periods such as nights or weekends in order to maintain employment or receive treatment.