United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS, MAN SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS
IN FEDERAL PRISON, WITHOUT PAROLE, ON DRUG AND FIREARM CHARGES

WICHITA FALLS, Texas — U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper, of the Northern District of Texas, announced that Rikky Parikh, of Wichita Falls, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Parikh has been in custody since his arrest in March 2008 on related charges and since he is a legal resident alien, he will be deported after serving his prison sentence.

Parikh was the supplier of large quantities of pseudoephedrine to a major methamphetamine manufacturer and dealer in Wichita Falls, named Dearl Adams, who is presently in state custody on drug charges. After Adams was arrested, federal and state law enforcement officers had Adams place a monitored/recorded call to Parikh and during the call Parikh agreed to sell Adams 50 cases of pseudoephedrine for $20,000. They agreed to meet at a Wal-mart parking lot in Wichita Falls to complete the transaction.

During the early morning hours of March 27, 2008, Parikh arrived and parked next to Adams’ vehicle. Parikh then entered Adams’ vehicle and told him he had the pseudoephedrine. Adams then told Parikh that he had to get the money from the back of his vehicle, and at that time the officers moved in and arrested Parikh, who was carrying a loaded .22 caliber pistol. The officers then seized two gallon-sized plastic bags that contained approximately 3.5 kilograms of pseudoephedrine from Parikh’s vehicle. That amount of pseudoephedrine would yield 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office under the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, a nationwide effort targeting gun crime.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the ATF and the Wichita Falls, Texas, Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Tromblay prosecuted the case.

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