FORT WORTH, Texas — Three North Texas men were sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to lengthy federal prison terms for their respective roles in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

Winfred Morgan Trammel, 39, of Breckenridge, Texas, was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison.  Co-conspirators Larry Hawkins, 59, of Wichita Falls, Texas, and Jackie Lynn Watters, 50, of Fort Worth, Texas, were each sentenced to 180 months in federal prison.  Trammell was convicted at trial in September 2015 on one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Hawkins and Watters each pleaded guilty in October 2015 to the same offense. 

At trial, the jury found that from before July 2014 to approximately June 2015, Trammel and others conspired together to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.  According to plea documents filed in the case, since approximately 2014, Hawkins received more than 50 grams of methamphetamine from others charged in the indictment and distributed it to his customers in the Wichita Falls, Texas, area.  Since approximately 2014, Watters assisted others in their distribution of methamphetamine by acting as a lookout or collecting drug proceeds.

A total of 29 defendants were charged in the case; 28 have been convicted, and most of those have been sentenced.  Earlier this month, co-defendants Matthew Rutledge, 33, and Joel Prickett, 37, were sentenced to 324 months, and 160 months, respectively, in federal prison for their roles in the conspiracy. 

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Fort Worth Police Department investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Smith was in charge of the prosecution.