Massive Drug Trafficking Enterprise Busted in East Texas

44 in Custody on Federal Drug Charges

TYLER, TX—U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced a combined task force led by the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division began arresting individuals charged with involvement in a methamphetamine manufacturing and distribution criminal enterprise on May 19-20, 2010 in the Panola, Rusk, Gregg, Upshur, Marion, and Cherokee Counties, Texas areas. Those arrests continued through today with agents and officers executing approximately 50 federal arrest warrants. Eighteen defendants have previously been arrested on similar charges in recent months.

According to court documents, an investigation was conducted of the methamphetamine manufacturing practices of suspected parties for several months. These court documents suggest that these parties traveled to numerous pharmacies in the Eastern District of Texas as well as Shreveport, Louisiana and Navarro County, Texas, from approximately February 2008 through at least February 2010, and purchased thousands of boxes of cold pills containing pseudoephedrine in order to manufacture large quantities of methamphetamine for personal use and for distribution in the Eastern District of Texas.

On May 5 and 6, 2010, a federal grand jury returned 13 indictments charging the defendants, cumulatively, with over 2000 counts of federal drug violations. The indictments resulted from a lengthy investigation launched by the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Panola County Sheriff's Department, the Upshur County Sheriff's Department, the Gilmer Police Department, the Rusk County Sheriff's Department, the Henderson Police Department, the Gregg County CODE Unit, the Marion County Sheriff's Department, the Jefferson Police Department, Cherokee County Precinct 4 Constable Office, and the New Summerfield Police Department.

If convicted, the defendants face up to life in federal prison and fines of up to $4 million. It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of either innocence or guilt.

The 44 defendants in custody have had, or will have, initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith K. Guthrie in Tyler, Texas, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Everingham, IV, in Marshall, Texas.

Those named in the indictments are each charged with one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine as well as multiple counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical. In addition, some defendants face additional charges, including firearms violations. The defendants and the number of counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical are as follows:

CLIFFORD WARD FUTCH, 48, of Laneville, Texas, is charged with 44 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

BOBBY LORIS JONES, 65, of New Summerfield, Texas, is charged with 29 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

BRANDON JONES, 18, of New Summerfield, Texas, is charged with 1 count of Possession of a List 1 Chemical and 1 count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine;;

DERRICK DUWAYNE WALKER, 21, of Henderson, Texas, is charged with 32 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

IVANA ADKINS, 35, of Mount Enterprise, Texas, is charged with 7 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

MARY KELLY MAXWELL, 40, of Gary, Texas, is charged with 6 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

CHRISTOPHER MARK SHERIDAN, 40, of Longview, Texas, is charged with 17 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

TIMOTHY CHARLES DAVID, 47, of Henderson, Texas, is charged with 45 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

AMY NACOLE HULSEY, 31, of Joinerville, Texas, is charged with 28 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

RUSSELL EUGENE SHEPHERD, 28, of Overton, Texas, is charged with 78 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

MARIANNA MATTHEWS, 32, of Henderson, Texas, is charged with 85 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

CALVIN LEE SICKLER, 28, of Kilgore, Texas, is charged with 21 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

LARRY DON HOWELL, 29, of Kilgore, Texas, is charged with 15 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

DEVER LEE APPLEWHITE, JR., 52, of Jefferson, Texas, is charged with 51 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

SUMMER BERRY APPLEWHITE, 33, of Jefferson, Texas, is charged with 6 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

RALPH ARTHUR FINLEY, 54, of Jefferson, Texas, is charged with 19 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

NATHAN LEE HOGAN, 20, of Gladewater, Texas, is charged with 73 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

CLIFTON SCOTT BEENE, 50, of Longview, Texas, is charged with 17 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

SHARON KAY BEENE, 46, of Longview, Texas, is charged with 33 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

HAZEL MICHELLE BOND, 42, of Gilmer, Texas, is charged with 35 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

GORDON ALLEN BOUKNIGHT, 40, of Gilmer, Texas, is charged with 82 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

. SARINA CHEREA DANNER, 22, of Longview, Texas, is charged with 14 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

WILLIAM DAVID DAVIS, 33, of Gilmer, Texas, is charged with 36 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

JOEY KEITH HAWKINS, 54, of Gilmer, Texas, is charged with 111 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

ROBBY KEITH HAWKINS, 28, of Gilmer, Texas, is charged with 27 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

KYLE LYNN HAYES, 28, of Gilmer, Texas, is charged with 167 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

BLANE ALAN HAYHURST, 35, of Big Sandy, Texas, is charged with 27 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

MOLLY CHRISTINE HAYHURST, 34, of Gilmer, Texas, is charged with 168 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

MELODY DESKIN HOUSTON, 52, of Gilmer, Texas, is charged with 73 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

KENNETH LEON JACKSON, 38, of Gilmer, Texas, is charged with 86 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

SHARON KAY MARSH, 47, of Big Sandy, Texas, is charged with 22 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

WILLIAM CHAD MARTIN, 26, of Marshall, Texas, is charged with 46 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

WILLIAM MICHAEL TALLEY, 50, of Gilmer, Texas is charged with 14 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

ROBERT RAY WATSON, 39, of Gilmer, Texas, is charged with 57 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

LINDA DUNBAR BALL, 51, of Jefferson, Texas, is charged with 72 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

ELIZABETH W. HILL, 50, of Jefferson, Texas, is charged with 20 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

JAMES EVERETT SCUDDAY, 53, of Jefferson, Texas, is charged with 33 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

JOHNNY DOUGLAS CAMPBELL, 28, of West Price, Texas is charged with 1 count of Possession of a List 1 Chemical and 1 count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine;

JACK LONDON RAMSEY, 47, of Overton, Texas, is charged with 58 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

LARRY DALE SMITH, 46, of Kilgore, Texas, is charged with 34 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

LARRY ROMAN LOWERY, 36, of Gladewater, Texas, is charged with 5 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

LATISHA MARIE ANTHONY, 26, of Kilgore, Texas, is charged with 18 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

TRAVIS EARL SHELTON, 35, of Jefferson, Texas, is charged with 26 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical;

CHADWICK RAY HOWE, 23, of Avinger, Texas, is charged with 19 counts of Possession of a List 1 Chemical.

These defendants are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Baldwin, Frank Coan, Mary Ann Cozby, Allen Hurst, Alan Jackson, Gregg Marchessault, Jim Middleton, Richard L. Moore, Jim Noble, Randi Russell, and Chris Tortorice.