Cochise County man pleads guilty to transport of a narcotic drug for sale and misconduct involving weapons
SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. – Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced a Cochise County superior court judge sentenced Timothy Henry, a Sierra Vista drug distributor, to 14 years in prison. Henry’s co-defendants, Jaime Rene Leza, Jennifer Sue Phillips, and Shalmarie Tulk, were all previously convicted and sentenced for their role assisting Henry traffic drugs.
“The DEA and our law enforcement partners in Cochise County are determined to protect the community from drug traffickers like Timothy Henry, whose guilty plea is a major victory for those who seek to rid our neighborhoods from the plague of drugs,” said Cheri A. Oz, Special Agent in Charge of DEA in Arizona. “Our agents will never relent in the pursuit of justice against those who would peddle these dangerous substances in Arizona.”
In January 2018, agents working with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Cochise County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force discovered that Henry was a drug ringleader distributing methamphetamine in both Cochise and Pima Counties. In March 2018, they purchased one pound of methamphetamine from Henry in an undercover operation at a Tucson-area truck stop. Then in July 2018, agents purchased an additional two pounds of methamphetamine and once ounce of heroin from Henry in Tucson.
DEA agents discovered Henry was supplying methamphetamine to lower-level distributors in the Sierra Vista area. Leza, Phillips, and Tulk all redistributed methamphetamine that they purchased from Henry. On Jan. 8, 2019, DEA agents, working with several law enforcement agencies served warrants in both Pima and Cochise Counties. Inside Henry’s home, they found methamphetamine, marijuana, a loaded handgun and approximately $1,800 in cash.
Throughout the course of the investigation, nearly 28 pounds of methamphetamine, one pound of cocaine, 13 pounds of heroin, 600 oxycodone pills, hundreds of fentanyl pills, 10 pounds of marijuana, and 244 THC vape cartridges were confiscated. Law enforcement agencies additionally seized more than $367,000 in cash, 24 vehicles, 13 motorcycles, four trailers, and 55 guns from individuals who are alleged prohibited firearms possessors.
Assistant Attorneys General Matthew Eklund and Jordan Emerson prosecuted this case. The investigation was led by the DEA Cochise County HIDTA, Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, Arizona Department of Public Safety, and Office of the Arizona Attorney General Special Investigations Section; with additional special operations support from Pima County Sheriff’s Office, Tucson Police Department, Sierra Vista Police Department, Douglas Police Department, and the U.S. Border Patrol.
The names of the defendants and their convictions are listed below.
Timothy Henry pleaded guilty to transport of a narcotic drug and misconduct involving weapons. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Jaime Rene Leza pleaded guilty to money laundering in the second degree and solicitation to possess a dangerous drug for sale. He was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison followed by 5 years on probation.
Jennifer Sue Phillips pleaded guilty to solicitation to possess a dangerous drug. She was sentenced to 3 years on probation.
Shalmarie Tulk was convicted by a Cochise County jury of illegally conducting an enterprise; conspiracy to transport a dangerous drug for sale and money laundering in the second degree. She was sentenced to 7 years on probation.
