Final Defendant Sentenced in Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy

COVINGTON, Ky. - A Batavia, Ohio, woman, Stephanie Marie Terrell, 39, was sentenced on Thursday to 78 months by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning for aiding and abetting the attempted possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to her plea agreement, on May 23, 2025, the United States Postal Inspection Service intercepted a package containing over 220 grams of methamphetamine that was addressed to a residence in Covington and mailed from Houston, Texas. On May 27, 2025, law enforcement conducted a controlled delivery of the package to the Covington residence, and Scott Baxter, Terrell's co-defendant, retrieved the package from the porch and brought it to a nearby vehicle driven by Terrell. Terrell began driving away from the residence, but law enforcement initiated a traffic stop. Dereco Lamont Evans, the front seat passenger and another co-defendant, opened the passenger door and threw the package out. Evans and Terrell were detained.

Terrell admitted that she was retrieving the package, that the intended recipient was Timothy McCay, another co-defendant, that she knew the package contained drugs, and that she had facilitated McCay receiving the drugs from Joseph Felix Garza of Houston, another co-defendant.

Terrell's co-defendants were previously sentenced to the following:

• Joseph Felix Garza was sentenced to 132 months imprisonment and 5 years supervised release
• Timothy J. McCay was sentenced to 123 months imprisonment and 5 years supervised release
• Harry Smith was sentenced to 41 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release
• Scott Baxter was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release
• Dereco Lamont Evans was sentenced to 40 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release
• Stephanie Marie Garcia was sentenced to time served (4 days) and 3 years supervised release

Under federal law, Terrell and her co-defendants must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence. Upon her release from prison, Terrell will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years.

Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Lesley Allison, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pittsburgh Field Division; and Scott Hardcorn, Director of the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by USPIS and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Spievack is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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