Defendants Receive Lengthy Sentences in Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy That Generated $5 Million in Proceeds

MAY 14 -- FORT WORTH, Texas — The final defendant convicted in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy that operated in the Fort Worth area since 2005, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John McBryde, announced DEA Special Agent in Charge James L. Capra and U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Herbert Philip “Andy” Anderson, 46, of Fort Worth, was sentenced to 360 months in prison. He was convicted at trial in January 2010 of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and of money laundering.

“Today’s sentencing marks the final blow reflecting the successful dismantlement of this large scale methamphetamine trafficking organization. The head of this organization was a retired member of the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Club and had ties to the Aryan Brotherhood. Additionally, several members of this methamphetamine distribution organization were classified as armed and dangerous and one was on parole for a homicide conviction. This group was organized, dangerous and deadly. The communities in Parker and Tarrant County are safer and can rest better with members of this malicious organization behind bars,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge James Capra.

The convictions stem from charges outlined in two indictments returned by a federal grand jury in Fort Worth that charged a total of 19 defendants with felony offenses related to their roles in the conspiracy. Anderson and John Reginald Holt, 55, of Palmer, Texas, were convicted at trial, 15 defendants pleaded guilty, one was acquitted and one remains a fugitive.

U.S. Attorney Jacks noted, “Five of the defendants in this case had a total of 36 prior felony convictions. Removing these career criminals from society makes us all safer and we are indebted to each of the law enforcement officers who contributed to this successful prosecution.”

Convicted defendants and their sentences are:

Alfredo Medina, 49, of Dallas, 480 months

Marisol Perez-Leon, 30, of Dallas, 327 months

Thomas L. Gerry, a.k.a. “Hammer,” and “Zeke,” 61, of Bedford, 360 months

Steven Ray Adams, a.k.a. “Duck,” 51, of Euless, 400 months

John Reginald Holt, 55, of Palmer, Texas 360 months

Wade Phillip Smith, 48, of North Richland Hills, 360 months

Roger George Flittie, 61, of Euless, 120 months

Juan Gloria Cruz, 44, of Corpus Christi, 235 months

Brian Eugene Perryman, 52, of Fort Worth, 97 months

Robert Leslie Bays, 54, of Azle, 100 months

Farrell Coleman, 49, of Grand Prairie, 188 months

Robin Berthelot, 46 of Fort Worth, 120 months

Kent Daniel Burton, 43, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 108 months

Lydia Faye Cedillo, 34, of Ennis, 42 months

Gabriel Hernandez, 37, of Ennis, 78 months

Miyoshia Wylynn Nance, a.k.a. “Yodie,” 40, of Bedford, 240 months

The Court determined that the conspiracy generated $5 million in proceeds and ordered that the defendants forfeit an equivalent amount of property. As a result of this prosecution, the defendants have collectively forfeited seven firearms; four motorcycles and 13 cars and trucks valued at more than $170,000; assorted jewelry worth approximately $198,000; more than $72,000 in cash; four properties in Tarrant and Dallas Counties valued at more than $350,000; and the corporation “Tazz Man, Inc.,” which has been operating in Arlington, Texas, as two sexually- oriented businesses or “strip-clubs” under the names “Hardbody’s” and “Peep-N-Tom’s.”

As required by law, the Court granted defendant Anderson’s application to stay the forfeiture of his property pending the appeal of his criminal convictions and sentence. Defendant Anderson’s property includes the business operating as the “Hardbody’s” and “Peep-N-Tom’s” strip-clubs. Therefore, forfeiture of that property will not be final until and unless defendant Anderson’s conviction and sentence are affirmed on appeal.

According to evidence presented in the case, Gerry became involved in the sale and distribution of controlled substances as early as 1989. He was imprisoned in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice from 1990 until he was paroled on January 5, 2005. He again began dealing methamphetamine in 2007 and organized a drug trafficking organization (DTO) which operated until August 20, 2009, when its members were arrested on federal charges.

From fall 2007 until their arrest in August 2009, Gerry and the members of his DTO obtained and sold, on average, approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine each week, for an average of $50 per gram. During this time, Gerry and the members of his DTO used local residences — 2116 San Fernando, Bedford; 5516 Emerald Court, North Richland Hills; 715 Vine Street, Euless; and an apartment at 3716 Gazebo Court, Fort Worth, to distribute the methamphetamine

Gerry was known as a large-scale drug trafficker and was a former national sergeant-at-arms of the Bandidos motorcycle gang. Steven Ray Adams and Wade Phillip Smith met Gerry in the 1990s when they were in prison together in Texas; Adams was Gerry’s cell mate. When Smith was paroled in October 2007, he contacted Gerry and met Gerry’s daughter. For a while Smith lived with the daughter at Gerry’s home, but in January 2009, they moved to a residence on Emerald Court in North Richland Hills, where they sold and distributed methamphetamine they had obtained from Gerry.

By June 2009, Adams was working for Gerry’s DTO. Adams would pick up methamphetamine from Gerry’s residence in Bedford and take it to his residence on Vine Street in Euless and to an apartment on Gazebo Court in Fort Worth. On August 20, 2009, officers and agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a search warrant at Adams’ residence and, among other things, found firearms and methamphetamine. They also seized a computer from the residence which was found to contain more than 1000 video clips, taken by the camera attached to the computer, showing numerous events where Adams can be seen using, packaging or distributing methamphetamine in the residence.

Alfredo Medina and his wife, Marisol Perez-Leon, were major suppliers to Gerry. Both were natives of Apatzingan, Michoacan, Mexico and were in the U.S. illegally. They were, in turn, supplied by elements of the Mexican drug cartel, La Familia Michoacana. Medina and Perez-Leon were indicted and arrested in October 2009 as part of a DEA-coordinated strike against La Familia elements in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Miyoshia Wylynn Nance lived with Gerry, was aware of his drug trafficking and assisted in his sale and distribution of the methamphetamine by counting the money paid to Gerry by methamphetamine purchasers.

In June 2009, Juan Gloria Cruz, and associates of his, came to Fort Worth to sell two kilograms of methamphetamine. They were introduced to Smith, who introduced them to Gerry.

Gerry derived several million dollars from using various locations to distribute the methamphetamine. This money was used, among other things, to acquire real property located at 2022 Cherry Circle, Grand Prairie. In addition, Gerry delivered approximately $50,000 in drug trafficking proceeds to Anderson to hold for Gerry in case Gerry was arrested. Gerry also gave Anderson approximately $160,000 in drug trafficking proceeds in June 2009 for Anderson to use to acquire property that Anderson leased and where Anderson operated a business known as “Hardbodies.” However, on June 11, 2009, after the proposed acquisition of the “Hardbodies” property failed to come to fruition, Anderson returned approximately $60,000 of the drug money to Gerry, who used it to purchase methamphetamine.

Over time, Gerry also invested approximately $250,000 with Brian Eugene Perryman for Perryman to use in the operation of “Phazar AeroCorp LLC,” a company that re-fitted, modified and refurbished large privately-owned jets. Gerry also gave Perryman $35,000 in drug trafficking proceeds so that Perryman would deposit it into a bank account he controlled and then transfer the money to “Hammer Time Custom Remodeling LLC,” for which Gerry was the sole managing member, to purchase the property located at 2022 Cherry Circle in Grand Prairie.

In February 2009, at Gerry’s instruction, some of his DTO members moved all of the household goods belonging to an individual renting an apartment on Gazebo Court in Fort Worth so that the apartment could be used as a place for the DTO members to package and repackage methamphetamine and distribute it to others. Although the lease remained in that individual’s name, Gerry provided cash proceeds from his drug trafficking business for that individual and others to purchase money orders to pay the rent.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA Fort Worth Multi-Agency Task Force, including the DEA, Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, Arlington Police Department, Bedford Police Department, Fort Worth Police Department, North Richland Hills Police Department, Weatherford Police Department, Parker County Sheriff’s Office, Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas National Guard Counter Drug Task Force. Other agencies who assisted in the investigation include: Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol, Canton Police Department, Denton County Sheriff’s Office, Euless Police Department, Haltom City Police Department, Hurst Police Department, Wise County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Fort Worth.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederick M. Schattman. Assistant U.S. Attorney Walt Junker pursued the asset forfeiture.