Three Sentenced in Pseudoephedrine Cases

TYLER � Three East Texans are sentenced in cases related to pseudoephedrine and methamphetamine. All three received their sentences Tuesday in Tyler federal court from U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis. Jack London Ramsey, 49, of Overton pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2010, to possession of pseudoephedrine and was sentenced to 58 months in prison. According to information presented in court, from December 2, 2008 to January 21, 2010, Ramsey purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine on 56 separate occasions which amounted to a total of 147 grams of pseudoephedrine, which he planned to use to manufacture methamphetamine. A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Ramsey on May 6, 2010. All of Ramsey�s co-defendants have been convicted and are awaiting sentencing.

Joy Lavon Smith, 49, of Kilgore pleaded guilty last November 2 to being involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of pseudoephedrine. She was sentenced to 121 months behind bars. According to officials, from January 13, 2009, to December 8, 2009, Smith purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine on 77 separate occasions which amounted to a total of 208 grams of pseudoephedrine, which she planned to use to manufacture methamphetamine. Smith was also named in an indictment returned last May 6. All of Smith�s co-defendants have been convicted and are awaiting sentencing.

Mary Kelly Maxwell, 52, of Gary, pleaded guilty on October 1, 2010, to possession of pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison. According to prosecutors, Maxwell traveled to multiple pharmacies in the Eastern District of Texas to purchase cold pills containing pseudoephedrine, all in furtherance of her methamphetamine manufacturing activities. Maxwell was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 5, 2010.