Lubbock-area residents sentenced for meth distribution

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 50^th 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.