A Little Elm man was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Texas said U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan imposed the 300-month sentence on Oct. 28. The man is 33-year-old Tyler Joseph Gatten.
Prosecutors said Gatten led a drug-trafficking conspiracy that used drones to smuggle kilogram quantities of meth and cellphones into Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities. They said members of a white supremacist gang allegedly resold the contraband to inmates.
While Gatten was held before trial, he was indicted in a separate case. Prosecutors said that case involved inmates and correctional officers accused of smuggling cellphones and synthetic drugs into federal holding facilities, including by mailing drug-soaked paper disguised as legal mail. The U.S. Attorney's Office said the case was investigated as part of the Homeland Security Task Force.