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Texas Man Sentenced to 27 Years for Importing Methamphetamine
A 42-year-old man from Boaz, Alabama, has been ordered to 27 years in federal prison for importing approximately 16 kilograms of methamphetamine into the United States, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
James Marcus Malone was convicted by a federal jury in McAllen on all four counts of importing and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine following a two-day trial in September 2015. The jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning a guilty verdict.
On March 20, 2015, Malone attempted to enter the US at the Hidalgo, Texas Port of Entry driving a Chevrolet Tahoe with Alabama license plates. After a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer noticed Malone appeared nervous and incoherent, he was referred to secondary inspection.
During a subsequent search of another vehicle, a Dodge Ram pickup truck, CBP officers discovered approximately 16 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed within the muffler. Malone initially denied knowing the driver of the Dodge Ram, but later admitted to knowing him and claimed he was only dropping him off in Mexico to visit a recently deported girlfriend.
However, the government presented evidence showing that Malone drove a group of conspirators from Alabama to pick up the Dodge Ram, which was loaded with the narcotics. Phone records proved Malone was in constant communications with a conspirator waiting for the load of narcotics to arrive in the Houston area.
Malone will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The investigation leading to charges was conducted by CBP and HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex Benavides and Michael Day are prosecuting the case.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez handed Malone a total sentence of 320 months in federal prison, to be immediately followed by 10 years of supervised release. The court considered Malone’s lengthy criminal history, which included several prior drug convictions, and noted that the sentence was appropriate to promote respect for the law and to deter future criminal conduct.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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