Dallas methamphetamine trafficker sentenced to 15 years in federal prison

WICHITA FALLS, Texas — A Dallas man was sentenced Monday to 15 years in federal prison following his guilty plea in March 2017 to one count of conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.

This sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas. This case was investigated by the following agencies: U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Texas Department of Public Safety; Wichita County District Attorney’s Office; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor sentenced Juan Leonardo Tello, 50, of Dallas, Texas, to 180 months in federal prison. Tello has been in custody since his arrest in January 2017.

In May 2017, Judge O’Connor sentenced the following three co-defendants to federal prison sentences for their roles in this methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy: Jackie Eugene Clayton, 38, to 235 months in federal prison; Juan Carlos Lopez, 53, to 100 months in federal prison; and Rudy Roman Ramirez, 45, to 135 months.

According to documents filed in Tello’s case, from December 2014 through Dec. 3, 2015, Tello, on multiple occasions, obtained various amounts of methamphetamine to distribute to others. Tello distributed quantities of methamphetamine to numerous customers from Wichita Falls, including Ramirez and Lopez. Tello’s customers paid him for the methamphetamine in cash by depositing money into bank accounts that Tello controlled, and by wiring money to Tello.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Walters, Northern District of Texas, was in charge of this prosecution.