Livingston Man Gets 25 Years for Engaging in Organized Crime, LIVINGSTON, August 1, 2025 - On May 5, 2025, Polk County Assistant District Attorney Mackenzie Smith and First Assistant District Attorney Mike Davis selected a jury in the case against Raymond Smelley, Jr., charged with Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, a third-degree felony.
During the trial, ADA Smith presented evidence showing that Smelley and co-defendants stole and stripped telecommunication wire belonging to Highline, selling the copper for profit. These types of theft cases have the potential to disrupt services for Polk County residents, including access to news, phone lines, and in some cases, critical medical devices.
Following a guilty verdict, the case was set for sentencing on July 16, 2025. After hearing about the defendant’s prior convictions, Judge John Wells III sentenced Smelley, a habitual offender, to 25 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office assisted in providing the evidence and support necessary for the prosecution of this case. Thanks to their diligent work and thorough investigation, the District Attorney’s Office was able to prosecute this case fully. The District Attorney’s Office is thankful for our law enforcements continued hard work and cooperation as these cases move forward.
Shelly Sitton, your elected District Attorney, would like to thank all the citizens of Polk County who answered their summons for jury duty in this case. She would like to especially thank the members of our community who were selected to sit on the jury for their diligence in listening to the evidence, following the law and rendering a verdict in this case.
If you would like to comment on this story, we'd love to hear from you. Email us at pctletters@gmail.com. Be sure to include the story subject in the subject line of your email, also list your name and town in your letter. Your letter will be posted in Letters to the Editor.
