Two men from East Texas have been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking offenses in the Eastern District of Texas, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
James Robert Porter, 47, of Henderson, and Richard Lynn Sledge, 67, of Athens, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle sentenced Porter to 100 months in federal prison and Sledge to 30 months.
Court documents showed that on April 12, 2023, Porter and Sledge sold nearly 25.5 grams of methamphetamine in Henderson for $350. Later, on June 7, 2023, Porter made another sale involving over 51 grams of methamphetamine for $625 in Henderson. When authorities arrested Porter on July 10, 2024, they found an additional 24 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle and at his business.
The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a national initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration and dismantling criminal organizations involved in violent crime.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration alongside the Texas Department of Public Safety, Henderson Police Department, and Rusk County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek prosecuted the case.
