BEAUMONT, Texas – Two Southeast Texas men are off the streets and headed for federal lockup after receiving significant sentences for their involvement in a methamphetamine trafficking operation. Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston announced the sentences today, a small victory in a never-ending war against the poison flooding our communities.
Richard William Jones, 40, of Diboll, Texas, pled guilty on October 28, 2016, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield didn’t show him any mercy, handing down a 125-month sentence. This wasn’t some small-time operation; Jones was a key player in moving product.
His partner in crime, Ronny Joe Bartz, 51, of Humble, Texas, received a 120-month sentence for the same charge after also entering a guilty plea on October 28, 2016. Judge Heartfield clearly saw through their attempts to minimize their roles. These sentences should send a message: dealing in meth carries serious consequences.
The bust originated with a routine traffic stop on January 7, 2013. San Jacinto County Sheriff’s deputies spotted a vehicle speeding north on Highway 59. As deputies moved to pull the vehicle over, a black bag was tossed out the passenger side window, landing in the grass. The driver, identified as Richard William Jones, didn’t stop for another 100 yards. Inside the bag, deputies found a chilling cocktail: a small silver handgun, digital scales, baggies containing methamphetamine, a glass pipe, and a stash of empty baggies – all the tools of a professional drug dealer.
Bartz was riding shotgun, and the evidence clearly linked him to the discarded bag and its contents. This wasn’t a case of simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The investigation quickly escalated, revealing a wider conspiracy. The case was spearheaded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency operation dedicated to dismantling major drug trafficking rings.
The OCDETF program, along with the tireless work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office, brought these criminals to justice. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Englade prosecuted the case, ensuring that Jones and Bartz faced the full weight of the law. While these convictions are a win, the fight against the drug trade continues, and Grimy Times will be there to report every dirty detail.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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