North Texas methamphetamine trafficker sentenced to 20 years in federal prison
The last of 17 total defendants to be sentenced in this conspiracy
FORT WORTH, Texas — A North Texas man was sentenced Monday to 20 years in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking.
This sentence was announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas. The following agencies investigated this case: Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Texas Department of Public Safety.
U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor sentenced Octavio Colin, 34, of Cleburne, Texas, to 240 months in federal prison following his guilty plea earlier this year to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Co-conspirator Jason Ziegler, 32, of Justin, Texas, who pleaded guilty to the same offense, was sentenced May 23 to five years in federal prison.
According to documents filed in their cases, since about 2013, Ziegler received methamphetamine on consignment from Colin and another convicted defendant, Erica Ayala. In turn, Ziegler distributed the methamphetamine to various customers in the Fort Worth area, returning to Ayala for additional supply. From about July to August 2014, Ayala received ounce and multi-ounce quantities of methamphetamine on consignment from Colin that she distributed in the Fort Worth and Richland Hills, Texas, areas; she returned to Colin for additional supply. Ayala was sentenced in July 2015 to 160 months in federal prison for her role in the conspiracy.
A total of 17 defendants were charged in the case; all pleaded guilty and have been sentenced. In February 2016, Miguel Bonilla, 36, of Dallas, was sentenced by Judge O’Connor to 30 years in federal prison, following his guilty plea in October 2015 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Four other defendants convicted in the case received 20-year federal prison sentences. The remaining 10 defendants received prison sentences ranging from 72 to 210 months.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Smith, Northern District of Texas, was in charge of the prosecution.
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