JACKSON, Tenn. — A Dyer County man has been sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison for conspiring with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 50 grams of meth.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee said in early 2017, FBI agents and Dyersburg police officers became aware of an ongoing drug trafficking organization in the West Tennessee area, specifically in and around Dyer County. The investigation revealed that the organization was trafficking large quantities of crystal meth ("ice") and other controlled substances.
As a result, law enforcement officers developed more information from numerous sources which led to the execution of search warrants at target homes, stash houses, a storage unit, and for Facebook info and text messages. Agents also conducted traffic stops, obtained information from confidential sources, and made controlled purchases from targets. Most of the meth was tested at DEA labs and was determined to be 98% pure.
The targets of the investigation were David McNeely and co-defendants Christopher Faulcon, Tommy Taylor, Damien Nixon, Patricia Wilson, Elisha Kirk, and William Hardy. The investigation revealed that during the conspiracy, McNeely purchased large quantities of meth from Damien Nixon and was one of Nixon's "best customers". McNeely also bought large amounts of meth from Tommy Taylor and Christopher Faulcon, and he sold meth to Elisha Kirk and many others.
On Aug. 15, 2017, officers executed a search warrant at McNeely's Dyersburg home. Officers found multiple bags with about seven grams of marijuana and about four grams of meth. Officers also found five rounds of 9mm ammo in the living room and $283 in cash on McNeely's person. Later tested at the DEA lab, the meth was determined to weigh 3.47 grams (net) and was 92% pure.
McNeely waived his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with officers. He admitted that he had been buying and selling large quantities of meth for several years. Based on his own admissions, McNeely was held responsible for distributing between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of actual meth.
On Feb. 9, 2022, McNeely was sentenced to 140 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. There's no parole in the federal system.
McNeely is the next to last defendant in this case to be sentenced. The only remaining defendant, Tommy Taylor, has entered a guilty plea and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 31, 2022.
