Five individuals involved in a drug trafficking operation in Lubbock, Texas, have been sentenced to a total of 91 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine. The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Adam Whitehead Baber, 45, received a sentence of 228 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Jessica Clauson, 43, was sentenced to 240 months following her guilty plea on the same charge.
Other members of the group include Sean Burns, 43, who was sentenced to 204 months for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl; Charles Srnek (also known as “Dreds”), 38, who received a sentence of 360 months for possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine; and Kiyle Jackson, 33, who was sentenced to 60 months for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Court documents show that beginning in early 2024, the defendants traveled out of state to purchase large quantities of fentanyl intended for distribution in Lubbock. They reportedly bought up to 10,000 pills at a time—referred to as “yachts”—and were found responsible for distributing over 100,000 fentanyl pills and approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine within the city.
In January 2024, Baber and Burns were arrested in New Mexico while transporting nearly 1,670 fentanyl pills intended for Lubbock. In May that year, law enforcement searched the residence shared by Clauson and Srnek and seized over half a kilogram each of fentanyl and methamphetamine along with four firearms. In July, Jackson was apprehended during a traffic stop with 140 fentanyl pills.
United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix presided over sentencing for all five defendants.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Lubbock Anti-Gang unit (TAG), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Caprock High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Lubbock Police Department, and Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case.
