Beaumont Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking

DEL RIO, Texas – A Beaumont man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 420 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

According to court documents, Kevin Ritchie, 34, directed others to continue his drug distribution of cocaine and heroin in Eagle Pass, Texas on a weekly basis while incarcerated on federal charges. Ritchie was a lieutenant in the Partido Revolucionario Mexicano (PRM) gang, an illicit prison-based gang with cells located throughout the United States, including Del Rio, Eagle Pass and San Antonio. The PRM gang cooperates with Mexican drug cartels, such as the Gulf Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel, to import and distribute various narcotics from Mexico into the United States.  A search warrant granting access to a Facebook account revealed Ritchie orchestrated drug trafficking through social media correspondence. Under Ritchie’s direction, the individuals deposited the proceeds to his prison commissary account. Ritchie was sentenced as a career offender due to his numerous other federal felony convictions.

“This defendant, associated with a large drug trafficking network, has proven his tendency to place personal profit above the law,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “His dedication to criminal activity while in confinement has led to another much lengthier 35 years in federal prison. My office will aggressively prosecute criminals who continue to support the illicit activities of cartels while incarcerated.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, Maverick County Sheriff’s Office, El Paso Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Holly Pavlinski and Izaak Bruce prosecuted the case.

###