A former Houston Independent School District teacher’s aide will spend the next two years in federal prison following her involvement in a narcotics distribution ring. Last Wednesday, a federal court in San Antonio sentenced 57-year-old Tonya Vonci Middleton-Harris to 24 months behind bars, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
The case dates back to June 2021, when investigators say Middleton-Harris conspired to traffic significant quantities of illegal substances. Court records show the operation involved 992.4 grams of pure methamphetamine and 526 grams of cocaine.
The investigation reached a turning point when Texas Department of Public Safety agents pulled Middleton-Harris over for a traffic stop. The stop occurred shortly after agents observed her receiving two bags of drugs from Terry Clay, a known drug trafficker.
Clay was also taken into custody; at the time of his arrest, he was found with $11,213 in cash and 11.2 grams of oxycodone pills.
Middleton-Harris entered a guilty plea on Oct. 8, 2024, admitting to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
She is one of several individuals to face judgment in this sprawling case. Several co-defendants have already received their sentences, ranging from time served to nearly 20 years in prison:
- Timothy Bland: 235 months
- Pamela Felita Breeding: 140 months
- John Russup: 144 months
- Luis Tovias: 132 months
- Valerie Nichole Garcia: 84 months
- Crandall Jones: 63 months
- Dana Harrington: 40 months
- Michelle Katherine Bilskey: Time served (1,050 days)
Terry Clay, the individual identified as the source of the bags, is scheduled for his own sentencing hearing on March 11.
U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam presided over the proceedings, which were the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Gonzales County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Spears led the prosecution.
READ: 4 A.M. Florida Break-In Ends With Shot Fired Near Baby And Mother’s Arrest
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