Repeat Offender Sentenced to 15 Years

GREGG COUNTY — Gregg County jurors sent a Longview man to prison for 15 years Wednesday after finding him guilty the previous day to drug possession. The jury convicted Claudie Ray Edwards, Jr., 28, of having a bag of crack cocaine when Texas Department of Public Safety troopers arrested him Nov. 6 at the Tiger Mart convenience store on East Marshall Avenue. Edwards was passed out in his parked vehicle with a bag of the drug sitting in plain sight on the dashboard. He admitted to consuming crack cocaine and liquid codeine that night and early morning.

The Assistant DA asked for an enhanced punishment against Edwards based on his criminal history, which includes drug, theft and burglary convictions. He has pending misdemeanor charges in Gregg County for marijuana possession and criminal trespass. Gregg County jailers testified in Edwards’ punishment hearing that he exposed himself several times to several female jailers and made inappropriate, sexually offensive comments.