Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

TYLER, Texas - A Canton man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.

Ashton Norris, 30, pleaded guilty on August 22, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker.

According to information presented in court, on Oct. 4, 2021, Norris was stopped on IH-20 in Van Zandt County for a defective license plate lamp. During the stop, it was discovered that Norris had an active warrant for his arrest out of Wood County and Norris was placed under arrest. An inventory of the vehicle after Norris was arrested revealed a backpack with approximately 103 grams of methamphetamine. Norris was indicted by a federal grand jury on Dec. 5, 2021 and charged with federal drug trafficking violations.

This case was investigated by the Canton Police Department, the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble.