A Sheldon ISD third-grade teacher, Jessica Ferguson, was arrested along with over a dozen suspected traffickers in Houston for allegedly dealing drugs in her classroom, linked to a broader crackdown on the “Rich Kingz” gang’s drug trafficking operations. The arrests are part of a federal initiative to combat violent crime and drug-related violence in the city.
HOUSTON, Texas- In a significant effort to combat drug trafficking and violent groups, federal agents apprehended Jessica Ferguson, a third-grade teacher at Sheldon ISD, for allegedly dealing drugs in the classroom.
Ferguson was one of over a dozen suspected traffickers who were apprehended in a coordinated operation that took place throughout the Houston area on Wednesday morning.
U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas announced the arrests on Thursday, which are part of a broader initiative by the Department of Justice to combat violent crime in the nation's fourth-largest city.
The investigation, according to prosecutors, has revealed a drug trafficking ring that is allegedly commanded by Alfred Jacoby Green, a 35-year-old member of the "Rich Kingz" gang.
Ferguson was allegedly conducting drug deals while at school, according to Hamdani, who claimed that she was captured on a court-authorized wiretap. "You could hear the children in the background" while Ferguson was on the phone.
Sheldon ISD has since placed Ferguson on administrative leave, confirming that her arrest did not take place in the presence of pupils.
The Rich Kingz gang is accused of trafficking substantial quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine throughout Houston and beyond, reaching states as far north as Ohio and east to Virginia.
Doug Williams, the Special Agent in Charge of the Houston FBI, expressed optimism that these arrests would assist investigators in the resolution of numerous unsolved homicides associated with drug trafficking.
Hamdani underscored the violence and community devastation that are associated with such illicit activities, stating that drug trafficking is a pervasive issue that continues to claim lives in Houston and throughout the United States.
Hamdani pointed out, "It is a corollary of drug trafficking that results in the loss of life through violence. It results in the loss of life through the overdose of individuals who use those substances.”
The communities that are left ravaged and ruined in their aftermath are devastated, and lives are lost.
The operation, which involved approximately 300 federal and local law enforcement officers, apprehensioned 20 individuals in total.
Of these, 17 were taken into custody this week, and three others are already in custody. The defendants are accused of conspiracy to distribute narcotics or possession with intent to distribute, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 to 20 years in prison, contingent upon the quantity of drugs and any prior convictions, according to prosecutors.
The commitment of law enforcement to dismantle criminal networks operating within the community and the ongoing battle against drug-related violence in Houston are underscored by the arrests.
Authorities are hopeful that these indictments will result in a substantial decrease in drug-related crime and a safer environment for all residents as the investigation continues.
