Angelina County Man Sentenced in Federal Drug Case

BEAUMONT – A 45-year-old Lufkin man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations. Mark Dwaine Helton pleaded guilty last October 31 to possession of pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine. He was sentenced yesterday to 78 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Ron Clark in Beaumont.

According to federal prosecutors, on October 12, 2011, Helton purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine at a Walmart store in Lufkin with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine. During the investigation, it was determined that from August 2011 to April 2012, Helton purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine on seven separate occasions from a Lufkin Wal-Mart, once from a Nacogdoches CVS pharmacy, and eight separate times from a Lufkin Walgreens pharmacy. The average person attempting to correct sinus de-congestion problems is believed to purchase only one or two boxes of the product per year. Helton and seven others were indicted on August 15, 2012, and charged with federal drug trafficking violations.