CHRISTOPHER JOE HOLDREN, d/o/b 12-23-1993, of Springfield, was sentenced to five (5) years in prison on Thursday, October 6, 2016, in the Circuit Court of Taney County, for the class C felony of tampering with a motor vehicle in the first degree. Holdren was sentenced pursuant to a plea agreement with the Taney County Prosecutor’s Office.

On August 28, 2016, Holdren was seen driving a silver GMC Yukon that had just been reported stolen from the Branson First Stop convenience store, on Branson Hills Parkway. Branson Police officers and Taney County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to initiate a traffic stop of the vehicle, but Holdren refused to yield to officers. After running multiple stoplights on Branson Hills Parkway, Holdren crashed the stolen vehicle, then fled from officers on foot. Moments after the crash, Holdren was apprehended by police.

The class C felony of tampering with a motor vehicle in the first degree carries a maximum penalty of seven (7) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and/or a $5,000.00 fine.