Two men each received a deferred sentence on a controlled substance charge in district court this week. Two men and a woman also plead guilty in court and are slated to be sentenced in a hearing next month, according to court reports.
On Monday, Nov. 23, Rafael Sanchez Gutierrez appeared in the 8th Judicial District Court during the 9 a.m. session. He arranged to plead guilty on a possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge.
The offense is alleged to have occurred on Sept. 23, 2019, when he was arrested on that charge as well as for three traffic warrants. Rafael Sanchez Gutierrez remained in Hopkins County jail until Sept. 27, 2019, on those charges; bond was set at $80,000 on the controlled substance charge.
In exchange for the plea on Nov. 23, the 26-year-old received a 7-year deferred sentence on the controlled substance charge.
Seth Dalton Bryant arranged to appear before the 8th Judicial District Judge during the 1:30 p.m. court session on Nov. 24 on a possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance.
The alleged offense occurred on May 30, 2020. Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office deputies contacted the 20-year-old Cumby man after observing him in a vehicle reported as suspicious because it was stopped around 7:30 a.m. on the side of CR 4725. When they contacted him he had on only his underwear and shoes. He allegedly claimed he was trying to change his pants because he spilled something on them when deputies spotted him. He displayed signs of nervousness and bruxism, and marijuana paraphernalia was observed in his vehicle. A search allegedly revealed suspected methamphetamine in a Tic Tac container, suspected Xanax pills, a glass pipe of the kind commonly used to smoke methamphetamine and other drug paraphernalia.
After being placed into handcuffs, Bryant allegedly fainted and was transported by EMs to the hospital. After being medically cleared and released, he was jailed May 30. Bryant allegedly admitted to discarding a marijuana blunt out the window of a vehicle. The suspected methamphetamine weighed 2.11 grams and tested positive using a field test kit as a controlled substance.
Bryant remained in Hopkins County jail until Nov. 25, 2020 on that charge as well as a tampering with physical evidence charge for the alleged marijuana dumping and on Delta and Hunt County controlled substance warrants as well. Bond was set at $10,000 each on the Hopkins County controlled substance and tampering charges.
Bryant reportedly pled guilty in court Tuesday and received a 10 year deferred sentence, which required 180 days to be served in jail as a condition of probation, and he must also complete an intensive residential drug rehab program.
Three others also arranged to plead guilty in court this week on felony offenses.
Makenzie Corey McGill arranged to plead open during the 9 a.m. court session on Nov. 23 to an April 7, 2020 evading arrest or detention with a vehicle charge.
Brandon Grady Teague, 33, of Sulphur Springs also arranged and pled open on a Jan. 22, 2020, possession less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance in a drug-free zone charge; a Jan. 18, 2020 evading arrest or detention with previous conviction charge in which he was alleged to have stolen a bicycle from Walmart then fled from officials on it; and a Dec. 27, 2019, credit or debit card abuse-elderly charges. He was arrested Feb. 3 on a warrant for a controlled substance in a drug-free zone charge. He was arrested June 1 on a credit or debit card abuse-elderly charge.
Jennifer Lee Lindsay arranged and pled open during the morning court session Nov. 24 on an April 20, 2020 abandoning or endangering of a child-criminal negligence charge and a Jan. 17, 2020 forgery financial instrument charge. The child endangerment charge stemmed from an investigation by SCU and CPS in which the 27-year-old Sulphur Springs woman and her 8-month-old allegedly tested positive for methamphetamine.
Sentencing hearings for McGill, Teague and Lindsay are slated to be scheduled sometime in December.
