Lawrence James Espree, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Meth, Texas 2017
Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Meth Conspiracy
A 43-year-old former resident of San Antonio has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute meth, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Lawrence James Espree was convicted October 11, 2019, following a one-day trial.
Today, Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ordered Espree to serve a total of 200 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
The investigation began when authorities found approximately a kilogram of meth strapped to a bus passenger's thighs at the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias on February 21, 2017.
Evidence presented during trial demonstrated that Espree had hired a drug courier to transport drugs from the Rio Grande Valley to San Antonio.
In addition to the meth found on the bus passenger, authorities also seized an additional kilogram of narcotics from another bus passenger at the Falfurrias checkpoint in January 2017.
Espree was leading a narcotics trafficking operation in which he directed another courier, and he used numerous firearms and body armor to facilitate his narcotics trafficking.
Both bus passengers previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the offenses, and Espree's defense attempted to convince the court that he was not involved. However, Judge Ramos did not believe those claims and convicted him as charged.
Espree has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol and U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert D. Thorpe Jr. and Jeremy Carl Fugate prosecuted the case.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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