Jackson, TN - Justin Simmons, 36, has been sentenced to 140 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on March 14, 2018, investigators with the Paris, Tennessee Police Department observed a blue van speeding. Upon stopping the vehicle, it was determined that the driver’s license had been revoked. Simmons was the front seat passenger. After obtaining consent to search the vehicle, investigators found 62 grams of marijuana and 37 grams of methamphetamine.
On or about May 29, 2018, Paris, Tennessee Police Department investigators observed Simmons operating a vehicle and attempted to stop him; he fled in his vehicle, nearly hitting another officer’s vehicle. Simmons was then pursued by law enforcement on Elkhorn Road in Paris, Tennessee, until he ran off the left side of the road.
A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 2.205 ounces of marijuana in a plastic container. Investigators located a green army can beside Simmons’s vehicle which contained approximately 1.167 pounds of methamphetamine, a set of digital scales, plastic baggies, and $2,178 in United States currency.
On October 6, 2020, Chief U.S. District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Simmons to 140 months in federal prison followed by 5 years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Methamphetamine that is trafficked in and through West Tennessee is increasing in dangerous purity, and continues to destroy individuals, families, and communities. Drug dealers who profit from the pain, addiction, violence and death caused by these dangerous substances deserve proper punishment, and this sentence does just that."
The Paris, Tennessee Police Department, Henry County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Jackson, Tennessee Task Force investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Kitchen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
