Richard William Jones, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Texas 2016

Methamphetamine Trafficking Plagues Southeast Texas Communities

A recent case in Southeast Texas has highlighted the growing problem of methamphetamine trafficking in the region. On January 7, 2013, San Jacinto County Sherriff’s deputies performed a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling north on Highway 59. As they attempted to pull over the vehicle, the officers observed a black bag fly out of the passenger side window and land in the grass. The driver of the vehicle continued without stopping for approximately 100 yards before stopping.

The driver was identified as Richard William Jones, 40, of Diboll, Texas. The passenger was identified as Ronny Joe Bartz, 51, of Humble, Texas. Officers then went back and retrieved the black bag that was thrown out of the passenger side where Bartz was sitting. The deputies opened the bag and inside located a small silver handgun, a set of digital scales, clear plastic baggies containing methamphetamine, a clear glass pipe with residue in it, and a quantity of empty clear plastic baggies.

Jones and Bartz were subsequently arrested and charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On October 28, 2016, Jones pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 125 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield.

Bartz also pleaded guilty to the charges on October 28, 2016, and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by Judge Heartfield. The case against Jones and Bartz is the result of an extensive joint investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Englade.

Richard William Jones, 40, of Diboll, Texas was sentenced to 125 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jones pleaded guilty to the charges on October 28, 2016. The case is a reminder of the ongoing struggle against methamphetamine trafficking in Southeast Texas communities.

Sources: U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas

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