El Paso Drug Kingpin Ray Calvert Sentenced to 14 Years for Meth Trafficking

TEXARKANA – West Texas drug kingpin Ray Cornelius Calvert, 43, of El Paso, has been handed a 14-year sentence for methamphetamine trafficking. The sentence includes a mandatory five years of supervised release after his prison term.

Calvert was sentenced by the Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey during a hearing in the United States District Court in Texarkana. His plea deal came on July 21, 2023, when he admitted to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute.

The crime spree began on September 28, 2020, when Arkansas State Police stopped Calvert’s rental vehicle on Interstate 30 in Hempstead County. Troopers discovered approximately 1.5 pounds of pure methamphetamine in the car, which Calvert and his passenger, Anita Marie Hughes, were transporting to Memphis for distribution.

Further investigation revealed that Calvert had been on pre-trial release for another federal methamphetamine charge at the time of his arrest. His co-conspirator, Hughes, 47, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced in January 2022 to 72 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes announced the sentence, emphasizing the Department of Justice’s commitment to combating drug trafficking. The Arkansas State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted it for the United States.

For those seeking related court documents, they may be accessed on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.

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