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TEXARKANA, Texas: A Leesburg man has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking and firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston.
Nathan Paul Hart, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline Craven.
According to information presented in court, Hart conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine, marijuana, and other drugs in east Texas. On Nov. 30, 2020, a Texas Trooper stopped Hart in east Texas with almost two kilograms of methamphetamine imported from Mexico, and he had a pistol. In May 2021, while in jail, Hart directed $22,680.00 to another person for drugs from California. Hart was an organizer and leader in the drug trafficking operation, which included five or more participants and was otherwise extensive.
A federal grand jury indicted hart on Aug. 28, 2021. He faces up to life in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the court will determine the sentencing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will come after completing a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
The joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, prosecuted the case. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally-based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The Mount Pleasant office of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan R. Hornok is prosecuting this case.