A 51-year-old Taunton man received an eight to 10-year state prison sentence after pleading guilty to drug and assault charges stemming from a dangerous high-speed chase that left a Massachusetts State Trooper hospitalized from drug exposure.
Leonard Vargus was sentenced Oct. 14, 2025, in Fall River Superior Court for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, flurofentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, along with assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced. The sentence will begin after Vargus completes a current three to four-year prison term for an unrelated Suffolk County case.
The charges stem from an April 14, 2023, incident that began when a state trooper stopped Vargus on Route 138 in Raynham for a license plate violation. When the trooper ordered a female passenger out of the vehicle after observing suspicious movement toward the center console, Vargus fled at high speed.
During the ensuing chase, Vargus drove over 90 mph down the center line of the roadway, forcing other motorists off the road to avoid collisions. As he entered Route 495, Vargus began throwing plastic bags of drugs from his vehicle, including emptying several bags through his sunroof that struck the pursuing police cruiser.
The dangerous pursuit continued onto Route 24, where Vargus struck another vehicle while illegally passing and failed to stop. He drove directly at a trooper who had deployed spike strips, forcing the officer to dive out of the way. Vargus continued driving for several miles even after his tires were punctured.
The trooper whose cruiser was hit by the discarded narcotics radioed for emergency medical services after feeling ill and later collapsed while approaching the stopped vehicle. Other troopers revived him with Narcan, and he was taken to a hospital, where he recovered.
State police located and seized several plastic bags discarded during the chase. Testing by the State Crime Lab confirmed the substances were fentanyl, flurofentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine.
Vargus also received concurrent sentences of four to five years in state prison for assault with a dangerous weapon and leaving the scene of property damage, plus two years in the house of correction for reckless operation of a motor vehicle.
At the time of the incident, Vargus was out on bail for a pending Suffolk Superior Court drug case. He pleaded guilty to that case in 2024 and received a three to four-year state prison sentence, which he is currently serving.
“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. He has a significant criminal history and simply needs to be kept off the street to protect society,” District Attorney Quinn said.
Assistant District Attorneys Jason Mohan and Catherine Sauter prosecuted the case.
Generative AI was used to organize and structure information for this story, based on data provided by the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office. It was reviewed and edited by MassLive.com.
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