A woman has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison for her involvement in a scheme to supply methamphetamine to inmates at the William Clements Unit, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) facility in Potter County. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
Veronica Wertz, 49, pleaded guilty in March 2025 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. She was indicted in November 2024 after authorities found that she had been involved in bringing drugs into the prison over several months during 2023. According to court documents, Wertz was romantically involved with an inmate at the Clements Unit who collaborated with former corrections officer Ricky Eugene Hall to facilitate drug deliveries inside the facility.
Wertz admitted that she received packages containing drugs through the mail in Amarillo and then arranged for them to be taken into the prison for distribution. Law enforcement discovered text messages between Wertz and Hall on their cell phones showing their joint participation in distributing narcotics.
Court records also indicate that Hall told FBI agents he communicated with inmates using prepaid burner phones to coordinate contraband deliveries, referred to as “drops” or “plays.” Inmates would arrange meetings between Hall and outside suppliers at various locations in Amarillo where Hall would receive pre-packaged contraband. He would then hide these items inside his correctional uniform vest and leave them at predetermined spots within the prison such as the laundry area, kitchen, or with cleaning staff. Hall maintained a storage unit where law enforcement later found more than 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine along with cell phones and other items intended for distribution inside the prison.
Hall pleaded guilty to methamphetamine distribution earlier this year and received a sentence of 97 months in federal prison from U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk on June 9, 2025. Judge Kacsmaryk sentenced Wertz on July 9, 2025, giving her a term of 57 months.
“This case highlights the stellar work of numerous law enforcement agencies working together to halt a stealthy contraband smuggling conspiracy shamefully led by a corrections officer occupying a position of trust,” said Acting United States Attorney Nancy Larson. “We are proud of the investigative work in this case and that we brought those involved to justice.”
“The defendant took part in a conspiracy to smuggle drugs and other contraband into a state prison. This resulted in the distribution of prohibited items to inmates,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We would like to thank our law enforcement partners for assisting us with this investigation. This collaborative effort resulted in successfully ending the illegal activity and holding the offenders accountable.”
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Texas Department of Public Safety, TDCJ – Office of Inspector General, Amarillo Police Department, and United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Marie Bell and Joshua Frausto prosecuted the case.
