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May 19, 2023McAllen, TX, United StatesNarcotics

Convicted killer gets 30 years for meth trafficking following HSI, federal partner investigation

McALLEN, Texas — A South Carolina man and Georgia woman were sentenced May 18 for smuggling drugs through McAllen following an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced Joseph Gray Jr., 47, to 360 months in federal prison for smuggling meth. His co-defendant, Jasmine Cecelia Dorsey, 28, was ordered to serve 64 months in prison for the same offense. Both Gray and Dorsey must also serve five and three years, respectively, of supervised release following incarceration.

At the hearing, the court heard Gray’s trafficking organization smuggled drugs throughout parts of the Eastern Seaboard including Georgia, the Carolinas, New York, Virginia and Washington, D.C. The court also heard that after Gray was released from state custody for robbing and killing a person and from federal custody for trafficking crack cocaine, he continued to engage in drug trafficking crimes that led to a series of supervised release revocations and an additional drug trafficking conviction. In handing down the prison terms, Alvarez noted that Gray was given many chances to change his life but did not do so. Gray pleaded guilty Sept. 12, 2022, and Dorsey pleaded guilty Feb. 1, 2022.

“Anyone contemplating importing dangerous drugs like methamphetamines should ask themselves if they are prepared to forfeit their freedom for years to come when justice is served,” said HSI San Antonio acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “HSI is committed to working tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations involved in trafficking in dangerous contraband.”

Two others were previously convicted and sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy. Iyana De’Kyra Carter received a 78-month-term of imprisonment, while Keith Anthony Murray was ordered to serve 182 months.

According to court documents, on July 31, 2021, Dorsey and Carter traveled from Mexico and attempted to enter the United States through the Hidalgo, Texas, port of entry with approximately 18 kilograms of pure meth concealed in the gas tank. Further investigation revealed that Gray directed Murray to hire drug mules. Dorsey and Carter drove from Atlanta, Georgia, to Monterrey, Mexico, loaded the vehicle with meth and attempted to bring the narcotics back to Georgia for further distribution. Gray coordinated extensively with Mexican and Panamanian narcotics traffickers to ensure the meth was received safely.

Gray will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Dorsey was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender at a later date.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jongwoo Chung of the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

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