Two suspects were sentenced to 39 years total in federal prison for their roles in a Lubbock drug trafficking ring.

Adam Whitehead Baber, 45, was sentenced to 19 years in prison on February 5, according to a Department of Justice press release. Jessica Clauson, 43, was sentenced to 20 years.

Baber pleaded guilty in October 2025 to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and Clauson pleaded guilty to the charge in September. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix sentenced them both.

Federal prosecutors also charged three others as part of the drug ring. They were sentenced in December 2025, bringing the total sentence for the suspects to 91 years.

Sean Burns, 43, was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison. He pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Charles Srnek – known as “Dreds,” 38 – was sentenced to 30 years. He pleaded guilty in August to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Kiyle Jackson, 33, was sentenced to 5 years. He pleaded guilty in August to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. 

The Conspiracy

The defendants allegedly began conspiring in early 2024 to travel out of state to buy “massive quantities of fentanyl” to distribute in Lubbock, according to the release. 

“The defendants would purchase up to 10,000 fentanyl pills at a time, which they referred to as ‘yachts’ of fentanyl,” the release reads. “In total, the group was found responsible for distributing over 100,000 fentanyl pills and 20 pounds of methamphetamine in Lubbock.”

Drug dealers often mix fentanyl with drugs to maximize profits – with deadly results, according to the DEA. Meanwhile, meth is unpredictable, as a variety of factors can cause overdoses.

Law enforcement arrested Baber and Burns in January 2024 in New Mexico, with 1,669 fentanyl pills – or 184.5 grams – headed for Lubbock. 

In May of that year, agents carried out a search warrant at the Lubbock home of Clauson and Srnek, where they found 568 grams of fentanyl, 625 grams of meth, and four guns. Police caught Jackson in July of that year, with 140 fentanyl pills in a traffic stop.

The DEA, ATF, and the Texas Department of Public Safety led the investigation. Other agencies included the Lubbock Police Department, Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Anti-Gang Center-Lubbock, and Caprock High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rancourt prosecuted this case.