United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

CONVICTED DEFENDANTS IN DRUG CASES
SENTENCED TO LENGTHY FEDERAL PRISON TERMS

In U.S. District Court in Lubbock, Texas, today, several defendants, convicted on various drug charges, were sentenced by the Honorable Sam R. Cummings, United States District Judge, to substantial federal prison sentences, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper.

Tynice Nicole Hall, age 23, of Lubbock, was sentenced to 35 years (420 months) in federal prison, without parole. In May 2006, Hall was convicted by a federal jury in Lubbock on five counts of an indictment charging conspiracy to distribute, possess with intent to distribute and manufacture cocaine base (crack cocaine); one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack cocaine); one count of possession of cocaine with intent to manufacture cocaine base (crack cocaine); possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes; and receipt of firearms by a person under felony indictment. Hall had in her possession one-half pound of crack cocaine, one-half pound of powder cocaine, 12 kilogram wrappers, approximately 13 pounds of baking soda and two firearms, including a Tec-9 loaded with 27 rounds believed to be used in drive-by shootings.

Christopher Jolly, age 29, of Lubbock, who pled guilty in May to one count of conspiracy to distribute, possess with intent to distribute and manufacture more than 50 grams of cocaine base (crack cocaine), was sentenced to more than 27 years (327 months) imprisonment without parole.

Gregory Joy, age 35, of Lubbock, pled guilty in May to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack cocaine) and was sentenced to more than 16 years (200 months) in federal prison, without parole.

Ronald Rashone Ross, age 25, of Lubbock, pled guilty in May to distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack cocaine). He was sentenced today to more than 12 years (151 months) in federal prison, without parole.

In another case, unrelated to the above, defendant Benjamin Cano, age 51, of California, was sentenced to life imprisonment. A federal jury convicted Cano in May on two counts of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He was stopped in Abilene, Texas, in January 2006 with nearly 90 pounds of cocaine. He has spent nearly 25 years of his life in the California Penal System.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, the San Angelo Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the West Central Texas Interlocal Crime Task Force, the Nolan County District Attorney’s Office and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tanya Pierce of the Lubbock, Texas, U.S. Attorney’s Office.

###