Panola County Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking Crimes

TYLER, Texas – A 50-year-old Carthage, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.

Roy Daniel Tatum pleaded guilty on Sep. 7, 2011, to possession of pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Schneider.

According to information presented in court, on Mar. 9, 2010, Tatum purchased cold pills containing 2.88 grams of pseudoephedrine at a WalMart store in Henderson, Texas. Tatum also admitted to purchasing cold pills on six different occasions from Mar. 9-Apr. 8, 2010, which amounted to 15.84 grams of pseudoephedrine, all with the intentions of manufacturing methamphetamine. Tatum was named in a federal indictment returned by the grand jury on Apr. 6, 2011, and charged with drug trafficking violations.

This case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble.