Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

FORT WORTH, Texas — Two Texas men and a woman from Florida have been sentenced to lengthy federal prison terms for their roles in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that operated in North Texas for approximately two years, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

James Gatlin, 40, of Garland, Texas, was sentenced on Friday afternoon by U.S. District Judge John McBryde to 320 months in federal prison.  Matthew Ryan Thompson, 44, of Mineral Wells, Texas, was sentenced to 420 months.  Celeste Monette Blair, 45, of Jacksonville, Florida, was sentenced to 360 months.  Each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Five other defendants convicted in the case were recently sentenced to prison terms ranging from 250 to 480 months.  The last defendant, Ismael Rico, 32, of Dallas, Texas, is scheduled to be sentenced later this month.

Each pleaded guilty in August 2015 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  According to documents filed in the case, Gatlin, Thompson and Blair admitted receiving multi-ounce quantities of methamphetamine from others in the conspiracy that they distributed to others.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Texas Department of Public Safety investigated.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Smith prosecuted.

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