Jail Inmate Caught Dealing Methamphetamine in Jail is Found Guilty, Faces the Music, LIVINGSTON, August 12, 2015 - A Polk County jury found 34 year old Troy Jemarkus Garner, of Livingston, guilty of the Third Degree felony offense of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity following a jury trial conducted this week in the 258th District Court of Polk County before Judge Ernie McClendon. The case was prosecuted by Polk County Criminal District Attorney William Lee Hon. During the trial, Hon presented testimony of Polk County Jailer Justin Parrish and Sheriff’s Detective Billy Duke regarding a conspiracy among Garner and two others to have methamphetamine smuggled into the Polk County Jail on November 1, 2013. Garner at the time was incarcerated in the Polk County Jail on other drug charges. Parrish, who was on duty at the main jail picket on the evening of the offense, intercepted a quantity of methamphetamine which was hidden in a commercial shaving product and left for delivery to Garner at the jail. Upon the discovery, Parrish notified Detective Duke who began an investigation into the matter and later discovered recorded jail telephone conversations between Garner and his accomplices regarding the smuggling conspiracy. At trial, Hon presented evidence of Garner’s other drug dealing activities during the relevant time period including the delivery of a methamphetamine to a confidential informant in a Polk County Sheriff’s undercover investigation on September 21, 2013 and a Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine charge and arrest of Garner on October 1, 2013 made by Livingston Police Officers Adam Williford and Tito Reyes. At the time of the instant offense, Garner was also on probation for Possession of Cocaine following a contested sentencing hearing in the district court in 2011. Following the jury’s guilty verdict, a sentencing hearing was held before Judge McClendon. During the sentencing hearing, Hon presented the testimony of Polk County Sheriff’s Narcotics Detective Andy Lowrie who testified that Garner had the reputation throughout the Polk County law enforcement community as a “drug dealer.” At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, McClendon imposed the maximum sentence of ten years in prison for the Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity charge. In addition, McClendon ordered that Garner’s prior probation be revoked and that he be sentenced to serve the maximum confinement of two years in a TDCJ State Jail facility for that offense. Garner has felony charges still pending related to the offenses committed on September 21, 2013 and October 1, 2013; as well as a felony Bail Jumping offense stemming from Garner’s failure to appear for a trial setting in March of this year.
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