Published: July 09, 2009 12:40 pm      

Guilty pleas in federal drug cases in East Texas

TYLER — U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced Wednesday that two East Texans have pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas. Jose Mejia Jr., 24, of Gilmer and Peggy Ann Helm, 49, of Tyler, both pleaded guilty Wednesday to being involved in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith K. Guthrie. According to information presented in court, beginning in February 2004, Mejia and Helm conspired to distribute methamphetamine to other individuals in the Longview area. A 17-count federal indictment was returned by a grand jury on Feb. 4, 2009, charging 19 individuals, including Mejia and Helm, with federal drug trafficking crimes. Mejia and Helm each face up to 40 years in federal prison at sentencing. Sentencing dates have not been set. The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the East Texas HIDTA Violent Crimes Task Force, the Gregg County CODE Unit, the Gregg County Sheriff's Office, the Longview Police Department, the Gregg County District Attorney's Office, and the Kilgore Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard L. Moore.