Evaluation ordered for suspect in I-90 pursuit who claims to be sovereign citizen

GILLETTE (WNE) — A man accused of driving the wrong way on Interstate 90, crashing into another vehicle and claiming he had a bomb in his car has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he is fit to proceed through the judicial system.

Justin Yoder, 41, has been charged in circuit court with aggravated assault, felony destruction of property, aggravated eluding and reckless driving.

In a letter to the courts, Yoder claimed to be part of the sovereign citizen movement.

According to the FBI, the sovereign citizen movement is made up of extremists who believe that they are separate, or “sovereign,” from the U.S., and as a result, they believe they don’t have to answer to any government authority.

The court doubted Yoder’s “capacity to comprehend his position, to understand the nature and object of the proceedings against him, to conduct his defense in a rational manner, and to cooperate with his counsel.”

On May 8, the chase began in the area of I-90 near mile marker 97, about 30 miles west of Gillette. A tan SUV was reported driving east in the westbound lane.

The deputy pursued the SUV on and off the highway, reaching speeds of up to 75 mph in a 45 mph zone, according to court documents.

The chase ended when Yoder hit a Subaru, causing more than $10,000 in damage.

Initially, he told law enforcement there was a bomb in his vehicle.

The Campbell County Sheriff’s Office shut down traffic on I-90 for about an hour as the bomb squad was called. A drone and bomb tech discovered bare wires but no bomb.

Yoder later said the bomb was in his head, and that “he had to follow specific directions or the bomb would blow up,” according to the affidavit.

This is not Yoder’s first run-in with the criminal justice system. His case will be suspended until the psychiatric evaluation is completed.

This story was published on May 28, 2025.