News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2005

Bay City Man Convicted in Crack Cocaine Case

APR 13 -- (HOUSTON, TX) United States Attorney Michael Shelby announced today that Makeba Dehron Thomas, 33, of Bay City, Texas, was found guilty of possession of more than five grams of crack cocaine with intent to distribute by a federal jury sitting in Houston, Texas. The indictment charged possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine stemming from Thomas' April 24, 2003, arrest in Wharton County, Texas, for possession of 48 grams of crack cocaine.

Thomas now faces a mandatory sentence of 5 years incarceration to a maximum of 40 years and a fine of up to $2,000,000. Sentencing will be held on July 5, 2005.

The case was part of Operation Bay Breeze, an investigation involving the Drug Enforcement Administration, Galveston Resident Office, Bay City Police Department, Matagorda County Sheriff's Office and the Matagorda County District Attorney's Office.

The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Richard D. Hanes and Ted Imperato.