A 56-year-old Grand Saline, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Andrew Mark Harris pleaded guilty on Aug. 26, 2019, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on March 17, 2020. Judge Kernodle also ordered forfeiture of $1500, representing proceeds received by the defendant because of his drug distribution.
According to information presented in court, on July 14, 2018, Harris was stopped in Van Zandt County, Texas, for a traffic violation. At the time of the stop, he possessed approximately 1.4 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, which he possessed with intentions to distribute to others.
Harris admitted to being involved in a conspiracy with others to obtain and distribute methamphetamine from July 2018 through at least May 2019. As part of that conspiracy, he obtained methamphetamine for resale and sold methamphetamine to others. He admitted that he was responsible, directly, for the possession with intent to distribute of at least 50 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, and that the value of that methamphetamine was at least $1,500.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Jackson.