High-speed ditching of bulk methamphetamine leads to 135-month sentence for convicted felon

HOUSTON, TX -- A 45-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute bulk crystal methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Devon Shermaine Rhodes pleaded guilty Sept. 15.

U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Rhodes to serve 135 months in federal prison, followed immediately by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, Rhodes argued for a 46-month sentence, claiming he did not discard drugs or drive dangerously at the time of his arrest. The court rejected his request after reviewing video evidence and citing his extensive criminal record, the inherent danger of crystal methamphetamine and the risk he posed to the Houston community.

On Nov. 8, 2022, authorities conducted surveillance at a local fast-food establishment where they observed a drug transaction involving Rhodes. He had paid more than $10,000 in cash for approximately five kilograms of crystal methamphetamine earlier in the day.

When law enforcement attempted a traffic stop, Rhodes fled, reaching speeds of 100 mph. During the pursuit, he threw multiple kilograms of methamphetamine out the drivers-side window, which burst as they hit the road.

A search of the vehicle later uncovered a significant amount of crystal methamphetamine.

Rhodes has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley J. Sullivan prosecuted the case.

Operation All Gas No Brakes is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Houston comprises agents and officers from DEA, FBI, HSI and ATF with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.