More Cold Pill Pleas
Posted/updated on: September 3, 2010 at 2:42 pm
TYLER — The list of guilty pleas grows in a series of federal cases related to methamphetamine manufacturing. Two Rusk County men have now pleaded guilty in Tyler to possession of pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine. They’re Larry Don Howell, 29, of Kilgore, and Russell Eugene Shepherd, 28, of Overton.
According to prosecutors, on Apr. 17, 2009, Howell purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine at a Wal-Mart in Kilgore, in addition to making several other purchases up until Nov. 3, 2009. On Mar. 10, 2009, Shepherd purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine at a Wal-Mart in Henderson, in addition to making several other purchases up until Jan. 25, 2010. The purchases were all made in furtherance of their methamphetamine manufacturing activities.
A federal grand jury returned a 273-count indictment on May 6, 2010 charging Howell and Shepherd with federal drug violations. Howell pleaded guilty on Sept. 1, and Shepherd pleaded guilty on Sept. 2. They each face up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. Sentencing dates have not been set.
