Texas man sentenced to life in meth conspiracy

JACKSON, Tenn. — A Texas man is sentenced to life in prison after investigators say he was part of a large methamphetamine trafficking organization.

Rolando Lopez, 58, was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In a news release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says the DEA investigation into Lopez and several others started in March 2017.

The release says agents determined Lopez and other co-defendants were trafficking meth, heroin, marijuana and other illegal substances from Mexico into Tennessee.

In April 2017, the release says agents received information that Lopez and his brother were conducting drug-related activity at a Middle Tennessee home, where $500,000 in cash, a money counter and vacuum sealer were found.

In November 2017, investigators learned Lopez had arranged for a shipment of 20 kilograms of methamphetamine to be picked up in Atlanta and driven back into Tennessee, according to the release. Those drugs were later seized by investigators, the release says.

The release says Lopez is also accused of using other co-defendants’ property in West Tennessee to convert liquid methamphetamine into a powdery substance.

Several others were charged with Lopez, including Saul Vega Flores, Virginia Torres, Ronald Lynn Parham, Daniel Ranger, Kenneth Garrett, Tammy Ranger, Marcus Jones and Xavier Demetrius James.

Lopez was sentenced to serve five years of supervised release in addition to his life sentence.