Jimmy Horton, Jr. Meth Trafficking, Paris TN, 2022

PARIS, TN – Jimmy Horton, Jr., 54, is headed to federal prison for a decade after a 2020 traffic stop and subsequent motel room search revealed a significant methamphetamine operation. U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentencing today, bringing a conclusion to a case built on local police work and federal prosecution.

The bust began on March 14, 2020, when Paris Police Department officers pulled over a vehicle for speeding near Highway 218 and Fairgrounds Road. Questioning the female passenger, officers discovered she was carrying approximately half an ounce of crystal meth. Crucially, the passenger confessed to having around three ounces of the drug, along with a pistol, stashed in a Paris motel room – all belonging to Horton.

A search of the motel room yielded 87 grams of crystal methamphetamine, neatly bagged for street-level resale, found on the bed. Beyond the primary stash, officers seized digital scales, plastic baggies used for packaging, drug paraphernalia, multiple bags containing marijuana, and a loaded Lorcin L380 pistol. Horton was present in the room at the time of the search. This wasn’t a casual user; this was a full-blown operation.

The investigation didn’t end there. Three months later, on June 15, 2020, another traffic stop in Paris turned up 11 baggies containing over 16 grams of methamphetamine and $340 in cash in Horton’s possession. The combined evidence painted a clear picture of ongoing criminal activity. Horton was formally charged in federal court on March 14, 2022, with possession of over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

Horton ultimately pled guilty to the charge on August 16, 2022. On December 9, 2022, Chief Judge S. Thomas Anderson handed down the sentence: 120 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Unlike state systems, there is no parole in the federal system, meaning Horton will serve the full decade. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Morrow prosecuted the case.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Paris Police Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). U.S. Attorney Ritz praised the interagency cooperation that brought Horton to justice, sending a message that drug trafficking will be aggressively pursued in Western Tennessee.

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