Henry Co. man sentenced to 17 years in federal prison
JACKSON, Tenn. — A federal judge sentences a drug dealer, considered a repeat offender, to 204 months or 17 years in federal prison for two separate crimes.
Friday, Markia D. Patton, 30, of Paris, was sentenced in federal court in Jackson to 190 months or 15 years and eight months for possession of an assault rifle while attempting to traffic marijuana. Patton received an additional 14 months for conspiring to distribute marijuana in the Obion County Jail while incarcerated on the first charge.
According to the U.S. Attorney, Patton unlawfully possessed with the intent to distribute more than three pounds of marijuana. He also illegally possessed a semi-automatic SKS assault rifle.
On September 24, 2012, the Henry County Metro Crime Unit responded to a 911 call involving an armed suspect behind some houses in the Wynn Street section of Paris. When officers arrived, they located the defendant behind the houses. Witnesses on the scene identified Patton as the armed suspect.
While searching the area, officers located a semi-automatic assault rifle wrapped in a coat lying in the weeds beside the back of one of the homes. More than three and a half pounds of marijuana packaged for resale in four separate baggies were located close to the assault rifle. Law enforcement also searched Patton’s vehicle, finding a set of digital scales used to weigh narcotics and a box of sandwich bags, which are commonly used to package illegal narcotics for resale.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Nashville Crime Laboratory found Patton’s fingerprints on the bags. The TBI Lab also confirmed Patton’s DNA was on items in a pocket of the jacket that concealed the assault rifle.
On Thursday, February 18, Patton was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen to 130 months for felony possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and another 60 months for possession with intent to distribute less than 50 kilograms of marijuana.
Friday, Patton was sentenced to an additional 14 months for trying to deal marijuana while jailed. He pled guilty to the charge in February 2016.
According to prosecutors, Patton conspired with his girlfriend, Shalyndrea Williams, 25, and a then-correctional officer, Cara Bing, 35, to smuggle and distribute marijuana inside of the jail. From February to June 2015, Patton had Williams bring marijuana into the jail. From there, Bing would retrieve the marijuana, smuggle it inside the jail, and distribute it to Patton.
Surveillance by the TBI showed Williams would put the marijuana in the trash can of the women’s restroom in the lobby of the Obion County Jail. Prosecutors said this happened at least six times. Bing was paid several hundred dollars to retrieve and deliver the smuggled drugs.
Both Williams and Bing have pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana.
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, April 14, 2016. Bing is scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday, June 14, 2016. Each face sentences of up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000.
