Kaufman County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas

TYLER, Texas – A Terrell man was sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei today.

Cory Joe Phillips, 39, pleaded guilty on March 8, 2021, to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine. Today, Phillips was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker.

“We thank our law enforcement partners for their diligence in investigating drug trafficking crimes and protecting the public from those who deal illicit substances,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Drug traffickers in the Eastern District of Texas will not escape justice.”

According to documents and information presented in court, Phillips distributed methamphetamine in Van Zandt County on multiple occasions over a four-month period in late 2019 and early 2020.  In one instance, Phillips was in possession of a 12-gauge shotgun.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Canton Police Department and the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Hurst.

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