Heroin and Meth Ring Busted in Wichita Falls

WICHITA FALLS, Texas — A sprawling drug network that pumped heroin and methamphetamine into the streets of Wichita Falls has been dismantled, with ten dealers now behind bars after pleading guilty to federal conspiracy charges. At the center of the operation, Darrell Ellington, 58, and Craig Lain, 56, were sentenced on February 26, 2018, to 100 months and 14 months in federal prison, respectively, before U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor.

The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Myria Boehm, exposed a coordinated pipeline running from Dallas to Wichita Falls, where the drugs were funneled for local distribution. According to court documents, the conspiracy involved multiple trips to source heroin and methamphetamine, then transport them back for sale across the region. The operation ran for months, poisoning neighborhoods and fueling addiction.

Others already sentenced in the same sweep include Eric Lee Portier, 37, who received 188 months — more than 15 years — behind bars. Michael Brooks, 50, got 120 months. Crystal Pond, 34, was sentenced to 107 months, while Jon Alan Brooks, 54, received 105. Mario Daniel Rodriguez, 26, was handed 70 months; David Standridge, 52, got 51. Bryan Tresenriter, 38, was sentenced to 46 months, and Jaci Lea Carter, 28, received 24.

Portier faced an additional charge: being a felon in possession of a firearm during the conspiracy. That conviction, tacked onto his drug distribution role, helped drive his lengthy sentence. Authorities recovered weapons during the investigation, underscoring the violent potential of the drug operation.

The takedown was the result of a multi-agency dragnet. The Wichita County District Attorney’s Office Drug Enforcement Division led the charge, working alongside the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division and the Wichita County Sheriff’s Office. Critical support came from the U.S. Marshals Service, Decatur Police Department, Bridgeport Police Department, and Wichita Falls Police Department.

U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas said the sentences send a clear message: drug traffickers will face steep consequences. ‘These aren’t victimless crimes,’ Cox stated. ‘Every dose sold destroys lives. We’ve choked off a major supply line—and we’re just getting started.’

RELATED: Basement Pill Mill Lands Man 20 Years

RELATED: 7 Years for Dealer Linked to OD