United States Drug Enforcement Administration

BEAUMONT, Texas – A Houston convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.

Derrick Wayne Roberson, 32, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on December 19, 2024.

According to information presented in court, beginning in 2023, law enforcement conducted an investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating out of Houston and into East Texas. Roberson was found to be a member of that organization and a distributor of methamphetamine, heroin, a fentanyl analogue, as well as a firearms trafficker. As a member of the organization Roberson would transport contraband from the Houston area to East Texas and distribute the contraband.  Over the course of the investigation, Roberson sold not only large amounts of methamphetamine, but also fentanyl and a firearms, including a firearm equipped with a “Glock switch.”  A Glock switch allows for a handgun to be fired as a fully automatic weapon, making it a machine gun.  Roberson has previous felony convictions for robbery, felony theft, and evading law enforcement with a motor vehicle.  As a felon, he is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas Department of Public Safety – Criminal Investigations, and the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter