Cory Joe Phillips

A Terrell man will serve five years in federal prison for distributing meth in Van Zandt County over a four-month period.

Cory Joe Phillips, 39, was sentenced on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine on March 8 this year.

Court information states Phillips distributed methamphetamine in Van Zandt County on multiple occasions in late 2019 and early 2020. In one instance, he had a 12-gauge shotgun.

“We thank our law enforcement partners for their diligence in investigating drug trafficking crimes and protecting the public from those who deal illicit substances,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “Drug traffickers in the Eastern District of Texas will not escape justice.”

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Canton Police Department and the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Hurst prosecuted the case.