On March 31, a Texas man was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess methamphetamine. The defendant, a 35-year-old Kirbyville resident, pleaded guilty on Oct. 16.
According to court documents, the defendant worked with nine other co-conspirators to purchase large amounts of methamphetamine and crack cocaine from Mexico to distribute in Texas, Louisiana and other parts of the U.S. Authorities began investigating the drug ring in September 2013, and undercover officers made several drug purchases from the defendant and other members of the organization. Eventually, agents seized drugs, firearms and money from the group. A federal grand jury indicted all 10 defendants on Sept. 2, 2015.
The arrests were the culmination of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, which focuses on the most serious drug trafficking operations in the country. The agency was assisted by other federal and local law enforcement agencies and federal prosecutors.
Individuals arrested on drug trafficking or other drug charges may face harsh consequences in the event they are convicted. Typical penalties include extensive prison terms, steep fines and the forfeiture of property. However, a defendant may be able to fight the charges and avoid conviction with the help of a criminal defense attorney. An attorney could scrutinize the evidence and develop a strong defense based upon the circumstances of the case. For example, the defendant may not have intended to distribute the drugs in his or her possession, police may not have had a proper search warrant or the defendant may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Source: KTRE, “Judge sentences Kirbyville man to 17 years in federal prison for drug trafficking charge“, March 31, 2017