SWEETWATER, TX – Zackary Dewayne McDonald, a “prolific supplier of Methamphetamine and Heroin”, was sentenced to 90 years in prison on Wednesday, Dec. 11 after pleading guilty for his involvement with an organized crime ring.
According to local media, McDonald, 35, began bringing in drugs into Nolan County in April of 2018 and supplying them to Matthew Lee McQueen II, 28, and his girlfriend, Sierra Cheyann Jones, 24, of Sweetwater.
According to the investigation, McDonald began bringing in about two ounces of meth every day and quickly increased it two pounds per week. He was also bringing in an ounce of heroin every three to four days. By supplying the drugs to McQueen and Jones, McDonald helped them become two of the most prominent drug dealers in Nolan County.
McDonald became the focus of an extensive investigation after police became aware of his illicit activities. Within six days of the investigation he was arrested and released after posting his bond. Two months after his initial arrest he was arrested again on November 14 for possessing 11 ounces of meth. McDonald was under surveillance and police realized he had resumed his business of supplying drugs to McQueen. He admitted to investigators that since his release he had made three or four trips to Sweetwater to supply drugs to McQueen, including a quarter of a pound of meth in each trip.
Based on McDonald’s admission he brought nearly 22 pounds of meth into Nolan County. That amount of meth would have an approximate street value of $211,000.
McDonald’s primary dealer, Sergio Salinas, 26, of Dallas, and his brother Jose Alberto Salinas, 20, were arrested in Nolan County on November 9, 2019. This was five days before McDonald was arrested a second time.
At the time of the arrest, the brothers had over a pound of methamphetamine, which they meant to provide to Sweetwater dealers. Sergio Salinas is s currently in Federal custody and Alberto was released on bond. Both are pending judicial process in Nolan County for engaging in organized criminal activity.
Since McDonald was part of a network of dealers and suppliers, authorities considered them to be an organized crime ring. In a consolidated effort Nolan County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety (Abilene) and Investigators with the 32nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office conducted a sweep of 25 defendants who helped move or sell methamphetamine and heroin in the Nolan County and abroad.
Two of the suspects arrested were McQueen and Jones, taken into custody in January of this year. Both pled guilty and McQueen was sentenced to 54 years while Jones was sentenced to 20 years.
The other 23 individuals arrested for being part of this organized crimes were the following individuals:
- Eric Acosta
- Lizette Ann Acosta
- Chance Brooke Benson
- Charles Ray Carrington
- Daniel Lee Cosby
- Jason Lee Cosby
- Arnulfo Delgado
- Adam Martin Garza
- Shawn Lucas Garza
- Christopher Joseph Hamm
- Jody Shane Jones
- Moses Jacob Lara
- Michael Alan Ledbetter
- Katie Louise McQueen
- Curtis Mathis Mahula III
- Douglas James Monday
- Michael David Morgan
- Mark Randall Murry
- James Allen Parker
- Francisco Javier Pena
- Tyler Scott Polk
- Monica Rodriguez
- Helena Jade Tollison
Of the 28 individuals who were arrested in connection to the ring, 16 have been adjudicated as of this time. All cases in this investigation that have been resolved have yielded over 200 years of Texas prison sentences.
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