The six sentences all involved methamphetamine-related offenses, including conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute.
As part of the nationwide initiative Operation Take Back America, several Eastern District of Texas residents pleaded guilty to methamphetamine-related crimes and were sentenced on Dec. 1 by district courts in Plano and Sherman.
Hunt County resident Rosalind Horton was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine.
During the initiative, Jasper resident David Anthony Piepenburg was also sentenced to federal prison. Piepenburg was sentenced to 135 months — more than 11 years — in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Tyler resident Laura Ann Messay was sentenced to 120 months, or 10 years, in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Oklahoma City resident Maria Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 75 months in federal prison. According to information presented in court, Garcia was involved in a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing kilogram quantities of fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine that were smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border.
A Gainesville resident was also sentenced to 10 years in federal prision for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Jennifer Dawn York conspired with orthers to distribute and possess 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas using the U.S. Postal Service to transport large amounts of methamphetamine, according to information presented in court.
A Mexican national living in Garland was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute approximately 37 kilograms of methamphetamine in the North Texas area. According to information presented in court, several firearms and approximately 91 pounds of marijuana were also seized.