Provided by US Department of Justice:
LUBBOCK, Texas — Four
Lubbock-area residents, who pleaded guilty to their respective roles in a
methamphetamine distribution ring, have been sentenced. On Friday, April
13, 2012, U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings sentenced Johnny Lee Kendrick,
aka "Rabbit," 44, of Lubbock, to 188 months in federal prison. Kendrick
pleaded guilty in January 2012 to one count of possession with intent to
distribute methamphetamine.
Last month, Judge Cummings sentenced co-defendants Florentino Corrales, Jr.,
aka "Tino," 37, of Levelland, Texas and Mydi Marie Jewell, 33, of Lubbock, to
180 months and 37 months, respectively, in federal prison. Each pleaded
guilty to one count of distribution or possession with intent to distribute
five grams or more, but less than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
In a separate, but related case, Danny Bautista, aka "Nerd," 41, of Wilson,
Texas, was also sentenced by Judge Cummings on Friday, April 13, to 78 months
in federal prison after pleading guilty in January 2012 to the same offense as
Corrales and Jewell.
According to documents filed in the case, Kendrick admitted that on November
10, 2011, he and Jewell traveled to Levelland and purchased 51.75 net grams of
methamphetamine from an individual at an auto parts store. When
Kendrick's vehicle was stopped later by a deputy with the Hockley County
Sheriff's Office, Jewell, had 51.75 net grams of methamphetamine on her person.
On June 16, 2011, Corrales sold approximately 27.1 net grams of methamphetamine
to a confidential informant in the Wal-Mart parking lot in on Highway 114 in
Levelland. On September 22, 2010, Danny Bautista sold a confidential
informant 27.3 net grams of methamphetamine for $1400 in a supermarket's
parking lot on 50th Street in Lubbock.
The cases were investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations
(HSI), the Levelland Police Department, the Hockley County District Attorney's
Office and the Hockley County Sheriff's Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Cunningham, of the U.S. Attorney's Office in
Lubbock, was in charge of the prosecution.