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The United States Attorney's Office


United States Attorney
Northern District of Mississippi

The Ethridge Professional Building
900 Jefferson Avenue
Oxford, Mississippi 38655-3608

662/234-3351
FAX CRIMINAL DIVISION 662/234-0657

Press Releases

August 18, 2006

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

Methamphetamine Distribution Ring Dismantled

John Butler, the leader of a large scale multi-state methamphetamine distribution operation and nine of his co-defendants have pleaded guilty to various methamphetamine related offenses in front of United States District Judge Michael P. Mills in federal court in Oxford, thus closing a phase of this investigation and prosecution. Five other defendants associated with the methamphetamine operation have also pleaded guilty in United States District Court. United States Attorney Jim M. Greenlee, Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Mississippi Stephen Luzinski, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John G. Raucci, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director Marshall Fisher, Tippah County Sheriff Brandon Vance and New Albany Police Chief David Grisham announced the guilty pleas.

The investigation revealed that John Butler led a methamphetamine distribution operation based out of Tippah County. To further the operation Butler utilized his trucking company, "Flying B Trucking," as well as various other methods to traffic methamphetamine from Phoenix, Arizona into Northeast Mississippi. John Butler, Tana Turner, Brian Randle, T.J. Glissen, Candace Turner, Amy Butler and others distributed methamphetamine in Tippah, Union, Alcorn, Lee, Chickasaw, Prentiss and Pontotoc Counties. In an effort to protect the drug trafficking operation, Butler and T.J. Glissen paid a Tippah County Sheriff's Deputy to protect the methamphetamine operation. Butler, Brian Randle and Tana Turner also paid a New Albany Police Officer for information about drug investigations. However, unbeknownst to Butler and his co-conspirators, both the Tippah County Deputy and the New Albany Police Officer were actually working in an undercover capacity to investigate the drug protection payments and methamphetamine trafficking.

"The results of this investigation and prosecution are proof of what can happen when local, state and federal agencies cooperate with one another to weed out criminal enterprises," said United States Attorney, Jim M. Greenlee. "The Tippah County Sheriff's Office and the New Albany Police Department should be commended for their special role in bringing John Butler and his associates to justice. Without the hard work of many dedicated law enforcement officers from different offices and agencies this success would not have been possible."

Each defendant entered guilty pleas to the following felony offenses:

  1. John Butler of Tiplersville, Tippah County, Mississippi, plead guilty to Counts One and Six of the indictment. Count One charged conspiracy to distribute in excess of 50 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine, and Count Two charged actual distribution of in excess of 50 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
  2. Sidney "T.J." Glissen of Falkner, Mississippi plead guilty to Counts One and Two of the indictment. Count One charged conspiracy to distribute in excess of 50 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine, and Count two charged actual distribution of in excess of 50 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
  3. Tana Turner of Houlka, Mississippi plead guilty to Count One of the indictment, which charged conspiracy to distribute in excess of 50 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine
  4. Brian Randle of Alpine, Mississippi plead guilty to Count One of the indictment, which charged conspiracy to distribute in excess of 50 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
  5. William "Brian" Evans of Plantersville, Mississippi plead guilty to Count Three of the indictment, which charged aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
  6. Jeff Cayson of Nettleton, Mississippi also plead guilty to Count Three of the indictment.
  7. Amy Butler of Blue Springs, Mississippi plead guilty to Count Five of the indictment, which charged aiding and abetting in the possession with intent to distribute of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
  8. Candace Turner of Iuka, Mississippi, plead guilty to Count Five of the indictment, which charged aiding and abetting in the possession with intent to distribute of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
  9. Derrick Robertson of New Albany, Mississippi, plead guilty to a two count information charging him with one count of using a communications facility to facilitate methamphetamine trafficking and one count of threatening to cause injury to another in retaliation for providing to a law enforcement officer information relating to a federal offense.
  10. John Estes of Ripley, Mississippi, plead guilty to a one count information charging him with using a communications facility to facilitate methamphetamine trafficking.

All of the defendants await sentencing in front of United States District Judge Michael P. Mills.

Five other individuals were also convicted of various felony offenses relating to their roles in distributing methamphetamine in connection with the John Butler operation:

  1. Sherry Lough of Hackleburg, Alabama plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture containing methamphetamine and one count of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute in excess of 1,000 marijuana plants.
  2. Perry Brooks of Tupelo, Mississippi plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture containing methamphetamine.
  3. Levi Ray of Okolona, Mississippi plead guilty to a two count information. Count One charged aiding and abetting another in the possession with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine, and Count Two charged possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
  4. Christopher Sellers of Mooreville, Mississippi plead guilty to a two count information. Count One charged aiding and abetting another in the possession with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine, and Count Two charged possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
  5. William Overton of Rienzi, Mississippi plead guilty to a one count information charging him with conspiracy to distribute a mixture containing methamphetamine.

The case was investigated through the cooperative efforts of many state, local and federal law enforcement agencies including the Tippah County Sheriff's Office, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Drug Enforcement Administration, North Mississippi Narcotics Unit, Mississippi Attorney General's Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Albany Police Department and the Mississippi Highway Patrol.

The drug distribution operation was prosecuted in federal court by Assistant United States Attorney, James D. Maxwell, II of the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.

Point of Contact:

John R. Hailman - 662/234-3351

 

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