East Texas men sentenced to federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in Rusk County

TYLER, Texas -Two East Texas men have been sentenced to federal prison for a drug trafficking violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

James Robert Porter, 47, of Henderson, and Richard Lynn Sledge, 67, of Athens, each pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on December 10, 2025. Porter was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison and Sledge received a sentence of 30 months in federal prison.

According to information presented in court, on April 12, 2023, Porter and Sledge sold 25.49 grams of methamphetamine to another person in Henderson for $350. In addition, on June 7, 2023, Porter sold 51.2 grams of methamphetamine to another person in Henderson for $625. When Porter was arrested on July 10, 2024, agents recovered another 24.04 grams of methamphetamine from his vehicle and inside his business.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Henderson Police Department, and Rusk County Sheriff's Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek.

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