Meth/Cold Pill Sentences Continue

TYLER – It’s been a busy week in Tyler federal court for cases involving methamphetamine and pseudoephedrine — and the activity continued Thursday. 29-year-old Leslie Dewayne Butler of Longview has now been sentenced to 70 months in prison after he pleaded guilty on July 20 to possession of pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine. According to information presented in court, on Jan. 10, 2009, Butler purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine at a Walgreens in Longview in addition to making four other purchases that same day at other stores in the area, as well as numerous other purchases at other stores on other days, all in furtherance of his methamphetamine manufacturing activities.

A federal grand jury returned a 256-count indicted on Feb. 2, 2010 charging Butler and others with federal drug violations. Co-defendants Shannon Sue Guess, Jeremy Kristopher Ivie, and Christy Renee Tull were sentenced to federal prison on Dec. 1; co-defendant, Michael Lewis Galyean was sentenced November 30. In another case involving the same charges, Randy Jess Coleman and Jerry Lee Nations, both of Beckville, were given prison sentences. All the sentences were handed down by U.S. District Judge Michael Schneider.