Date: 05-15-2018

Case Style:

Case Number: 1:18-cr-00009-C

Judge: Sam R. Cummings

Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas (Taylor County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Juanita Fielden and Jeffrey Haag

Defendant's Attorney: Jeffrey Propst

Description: Abilene, TX - Federal Jury Convicts Abilene Man on Drug Charges Related to Near-Fatal Heroin Overdose

Following a two-day trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings, a federal jury has convicted Michael Deon Thompson, 37, of Abilene, Texas, for his role in a heroin drug conspiracy resulting in serious bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.

Specifically, on Tuesday a federal jury convicted Thompson on one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin resulting in serious bodily injury, and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin. Judge Cummings ordered a presentence report prepared and will set a sentencing date once the presentence report is filed. The United States filed a Notice of Enhancement based on Thompson’s three prior felony drug convictions. If the Court finds those convictions final and valid, then, the Court must impose a sentence of life imprisonment as to the count charging distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin resulting in serious bodily injury. Thompson has been in federal custody since his arrest in February 2018.

“Fighting the opioid epidemic that is ravaging the Big Country and the rest of the Northern District of Texas is going to require a shared effort by law enforcement and our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “The conviction of Michael Thompson is an example of just how successful those shared efforts can be. Through the efforts of citizens, state and local law enforcement, and federal authorities, Michael Thompson will never push heroin in the Abilene community again.”

According to evidence presented at trial, on October 6, 2017, Bobby Mason telephoned Thompson to coordinate for the delivery of heroin to Mason and A.M. in Abilene, Texas. Thompson distributed about two grams of heroin to Mason. Mason and A.M. then prepared to intravenously use some of the heroin that Thompson had given them. As soon as A.M. injected the heroin, she collapsed. Mason called 911 and then left the scene. Officers with the Abilene Police Department, and medical personnel from MetroCare and the Abilene Fire Department responded. When they arrived, they found A.M. cyanotic and with agonal respiration. According to the testimony of a medical expert, the heroin provided by Thompson caused A.M. a substantial risk of death and, but for the intervention of medical personnel, would have been fatal. Medical personnel administered Narcan to A.M. and she recovered.

The United States also presented evidence that on October 11, 2017, officers with the Abilene Police Department went to Thompson’s residence in Abilene to arrest Thompson and execute a search of his residence. When officers approached Thompson, he fled into his residence and stayed in the residence for about 25 minutes before finally surrendering to police. Upon searching Thompson’s residence, they discovered evidence of Thompson’s involvement in trafficking heroin and other illegal controlled substances such as cocaine, Xanax, and marijuana.

The defendants’ sentence will be determined by the court after a review of the federal sentencing guidelines and factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.

The Abilene Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory investigated.

Outcome: Guilty

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Defendant's Experts:

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