Seven people received federal prison sentences ranging from 18 months to 20 years this afternoon in U.S. District Court here for conspiring to manufacture and sell more than 375 pounds of methamphetamine over a two-year period.
Federal agents arrested 45 people last summer in connection with the $17 million drug ring that operated in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. All but one have pleaded guilty, and the rest will be sentenced in coming months.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Neff said the case will “have a major impact on several communities” now that a significant source of locally manufactured methamphetamine is gone.
Donald Henson, 38, of Bridgeport, Ala., will spend 20 years in prison for his role as the leader of the operation.
Mr. Henson pleaded with U.S. District Judge Leon Jordan for leniency, describing through tears how he had battled drug addiction for much of his adult life.
“Things got out of hand,” Mr. Henson said of the operation, in which he eventually made deals with small business owners to buy large quantities of the ingredients used to make meth in order to avoid various chemical-purchasing laws.
“Without your addiction, you would not be here today,” said Judge Jordan, a senior judge from the Knoxville area.
For complete details see tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press.
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