On Thursday, Joseph Daniel Miranda, 33, was sentenced to three years in prison following a no contest plea and conviction of drug possession with intent to sell (felony), possession of a controlled substance without a prescription (felony), possession of ammunition by a convicted felon (felony), operating a vehicle at excessive speeds (misdemeanor) and damaging property while driving under the influence (misdemeanor).
Facing a maximum prison sentence of 36 years, Miranda took a plea deal that was accepted by Judge James Colaw.
Miranda’s prison sentence will be followed by a two-year term of drug offender probation.
According to the arrest report, on August 16, 2025, late at night, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) Deputy Kaleb Payne was traveling south on I-75. Payne observed a small gray four-door sedan merge onto the interstate. The vehicle began passing cars at speeds of over 120 miles per hour, and Payne followed behind.
Payne reported, “The vehicle also merged into a small opening between vehicles at unsafe speeds and distance. The other motorist had to apply the brakes to prevent a collision, hindering the regular flow of traffic. I activated my emergency equipment in an attempt to perform a traffic stop due to the reckless driving pattern and imminent danger the defendant’s actions posed to the public. As I initiated a traffic stop, the driver attempted to merge lanes again at [an] unsafe speed and distance, subsequently colliding with another vehicle in transport. Both vehicles lost control and careened off the interstate causing property damage to another vehicle. When ensuring the driver’s wellbeing, the defendant was in the driver’s seat, slow to open the door and I could smell the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle.”…