Published: October 10, 2008 03:37 am            

Man found guilty of drug charges

PALESTINE — A 36-year-old Palestine man will be sentenced in December after being found guilty of two drug charges Wednesday by an Anderson County jury.

A 12-person jury deliberated for slightly more than a hour Wednesday before finding Ross McMorris III, 36, of Palestine guilty of possession of a controlled substance 4-to-200 grams with intent to deliver and possession of marijuana between 4 ounces and 5 pounds.

Following completion of a pre-sentencing investigation, McMorris is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 17 by 349th State District Judge Pam Foster Fletcher.

The delivery charge is punishable by five-to-99 years or life in prison.

McMorris was convicted federally of trafficking cocaine several years ago and sentenced to 20 months in federal prison, according to Stanley Sokolowski, assistant district attorney for Anderson County.

The defendant was on supervised release relating to his federal charge at the time of his arrest in March 2007, according to authorities.

Testimony showed that McMorris was residing at a house in the 1200 block of Fulton Street when authorities served a drug search warrant at that location around 6 a.m. on March 2, 2007, according to the state.

McMorris and two other persons were inside the residence when approximately a dozen officers entered to serve the search warrant.

“In the course of that search warrant, almost two pounds of marijuana and 14 grams of crack cocaine” were found in and around the residence, according to Sokolowski.

The illegal drugs were found in “various locations,” including a box in the kitchen, a shoe and the trunk of a disabled car parked adjacent to the residence, the assistant district attorney said.

A .38-caliber pistol and .22-caliber rifle were also discovered in the trunk of the disabled car, while a total of approximately $6,500 cash was found in multiple locations throughout the house, according to Sokolowski.

Other items commonly used in the trafficking of illegal drugs were found during the execution of the search warrant, including three sets of scales; numerous, small Ziplok baggies; and razor blades, the assistant district attorney stated.

Sokolowski said the prosecution was pleased to get a guilty verdict in its case against McMorris.

“We felt Ross was a major drug dealer in Palestine and has been,” Sokolowski said. “He goes away federally, comes back to Palestine and starts dealing again.”

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Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com

        

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