A Liberty County jury on Jan. 23, 2024, found Feleite Jermaine Ray guilty of Manufacture and Delivery of a Controlled Substance and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
The Liberty County District Attorney’s Office started jury trials in 2024 by sending a strong message to drug dealers and drug smugglers. Assistant District Attorney Kayla Hebert tried a Manufacture and Delivery of a Controlled Substance 4-400 grams of Eutylone, a derivative of 2-aminopropanal. Eutylone gives users effects akin to ecstasy and cocaine.
Defendant Feleite Jermaine Ray was pulled over on a traffic stop by Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jesse Slaughter who was working interdiction on Highway 59. As a result of Deputy Slaughter’s training and experience regarding interdiction, he was able to observe all the blatant signs of drug trafficking the defendant exhibited during the stop.
Upon a search of the vehicle, 13 baggies of the controlled substance were located by officers hidden throughout the vehicle, despite the defendant’s endless attempts to divert law enforcement’s attention.
The defendant had no criminal history and, as a result, was statutorily eligible for probation. The jury was not swayed by the defendant’s testimony and request for probation. Instead, late Tuesday night, the jury sentenced this defendant to 10 years in prison.
After the verdict, District Attorney Jennifer Bergman stated, “Interdiction units are critical to law enforcement and being proactive on our constant war against drugs. Our law enforcement officers do a phenomenal job protecting our communities and taking drugs off our streets. Jesse Slaughter should be commended for the excellent work on this case.”