LOGAN — Box Elder County Sheriff Kevin Potter has been charged with obstruction of justice after allegedly lying to state police about his whereabouts during a suspected drunken driving investigation earlier this year, according to court documents.
The class A misdemeanor charge was filed in Logan’s 1st District Court by Cache County Attorney Dane Murray, whose office screened and filed the case to avoid a conflict of interest with Box Elder County prosecutors. No arraignment date has been set yet.
According to a probable cause statement, the investigation began around 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 17 when a motorist reported an interaction with Potter at Interstate 15, Exit 385, near Riverside. The reporting party expressed concern that Potter was operating his county-owned vehicle while impaired, describing erratic driving, slurred speech, unsteady balance and a silver can visibly protruding from his sweatshirt pocket.
Multiple Utah Highway Patrol troopers canvassed Interstate 15, State Route 13 and State Route 38 but were unable to locate Potter’s vehicle. Approximately 10 minutes later, a trooper contacted Potter by telephone. Potter acknowledged he knew the reason for the call and agreed to speak by phone, but refused to meet in person.
When asked about the container in his pocket, Potter confirmed it was a beer can, telling the trooper that he often hikes with a beer to watch the sunset. However, Potter denied being impaired or violating any traffic laws, insisting he was already inside his Brigham City residence and would not come outside to meet with law enforcement.
A state trooper and a Brigham City police officer were dispatched to verify Potter’s location, but his county-issued vehicle was not at the home. The Brigham City officer remained in the neighborhood for roughly two hours and never observed Potter return.
The case was transferred to the Utah State Bureau of Investigation, which secured a search warrant for historical cell phone records. Data returned by Verizon in September revealed that when Potter told the trooper he was home in Brigham City, his phone was actively pinging in Tremonton. Records showed the device remained in Tremonton until roughly 6:18 p.m. and did not arrive in Brigham City until about 6:41 p.m..
Investigators concluded Potter intentionally provided false information about his physical location while knowing he was the subject of an active criminal DUI investigation, concealing a material fact that prevented troopers from conducting an in-person assessment.
Potter is currently on voluntary administrative leave, after a collision between himself in his government-owned vehicle and a motorcyclist. The motorcyclist, identified as 22-year-old Katie Sue Ruth Huggins, was critically injured and later died from her injuries.
That crash remains under investigation at this time.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.