A federal judge in Texas sentenced a 41-year-old man to 142 months in prison on Oct. 27 for t conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The Willis Point resident was sentenced as part of a plea agreement he entered into with U.S. attorneys in January. He also agreed to make restitution in the amount of $8,000. This is said to be the amount the man earned from his drug trafficking activities. The man’s sentence was announced in a press statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas.
Undercover drug buy
Documents presented in a Van Zandt County district court on Aug. 2 reveal that the man was taken into custody after he and a coconspirator sold approximately 10.4 grams of methamphetamine to undercover federal agents. The drugs that were sold to the agents were kept in a residence he shared with the coconspirator. When agents executed a search warrant at the residence on Aug. 28, they claim to have discovered a further 135 grams of a substance thought to be methamphetamine or contain methamphetamine.
Confession
When questioned by investigators, the man is said to have admitted to conspiring to obtain and distribute undisclosed quantities of methamphetamine in East Texas during a 21-month period beginning in January 2018. He also confessed to possessing at least 500 grams of the drug with the intention of distributing it. The case was investigated by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and deputies from the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office.
Having a lawyer present during questioning
Federal agents are usually and experienced interrogators, and they are skilled at convincing suspects that they would be better served by cooperating and not asking for a lawyer. If you are ever in this situation, an experienced criminal law attorney might advise you refuse to answer questions until a lawyer is present. An attorney could negotiate with state or federal prosecutors for charging or sentencing concessions in return for your cooperation. If you maintain your innocence, a defense attorney could advocate on your behalf in court.
