TEXARKANA, Texas – A 49-year-old Cass County, Texas, man has pleaded guilty to a federal drug violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox today.
Bryan Lee Simmons pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine before U.S. Magistrate Judge Roy S. Payne, agreeing to be sentenced to four years in federal prison and not to engage in the practice of law for at least three years thereafter.
According to information presented in court, beginning in July 2019 and continuing through August 2019, Simmons agreed with others to distribute methamphetamine in the Cass County Jail. Specifically, on August 29, 2019, he entered the Cass County Jail under the guise of meeting with a client. When he entered the jail, he had methamphetamine hidden on his body, which he intended to distribute to an inmate. Simmons had smuggled drugs into the jail on at least two prior occasions. When Simmons drove to the jail that day, he was carrying a Colt MK IV 0.45 caliber pistol.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Simmons with federal drug trafficking crimes on March 18, 2020. Under federal statutes, Simmons faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers Division, with assistance from the Cass County, Texas, District Attorney’s Office and the Cass County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan R. Hornok.
