A Michigan man who was arrested last fall after leading an Iowa State Patrol trooper on a brief high-speed pursuit in Wright County has pleaded guilty to a charge of firearms possession in federal court.

Ahmed Abdullahai Khalif, 23, of Owosso, Michigan, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa on March 30 to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

Khalif was arrested Oct. 19, 2022, and charged with a bevy of state felonies related to his attempt to flee from an ISP trooper. Khalif was driving a Hyundai Santa Fe southbound on Interstate 35 at 105 miles per hour when a state trooper driving northbound clocked his speeding near the Dows exit. The trooper turned around and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver of the vehicle refused to stop.

According to previous Messenger reporting, the suspect vehicle exited the interstate at the exit for Woolstock/Williams and then attempted to merge back onto the interstate in the wrong direction before turning around and going back down the exit ramp. At this point, the trooper had caught up with the vehicle and the driver of the vehicle intentionally crashed into the patrol vehicle, pushing both cars into the ditch. The driver — Khalif — got out of his car and attempted to flee on foot, but was quickly apprehended by the trooper.

After taking Khalif into custody, the trooper learned that Khalif had several out-of-state outstanding warrants and that the vehicle he had been driving was reported stolen out of Massachusetts.

The trooper then searched Khalif’s vehicle and located a 9-mm pistol and a plastic bag of suspected marijuana in the car.

In January, Khalif pleaded guilty in Wright County District Court to felony eluding, second-degree theft, assault on persons in certain occupations, possession of marijuana and operating while under the influence. District Associate Judge Hans Becker sentenced Khalif to a total of up to five years in prison for these offenses.

Following Khalif’s guilty plea in federal court, he will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release following the prison sentence.