DeJarion Echols
Federal sentence: 20 years
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of crack cocaine; possessing a firearm during the commission of a drug trafficking crime
Court: Western District of Texas
Priors: Theft (1999)
Year of birth: 1982
Date of sentencing: 2006
When DeJarion’s name surfaced as a suspected drug dealer in October 2004, members of the Waco Police Department’s Drug Enforcement Unit executed a search warrant at his home. Inside officers discovered 44 grams of crack cocaine, an unloaded rifle under DeJarion’s bed and $5,700 in cash. Although only 44 grams of crack were discovered, DeJarion was held accountable for approximately 500 grams because the money was considered the equivalent of an additional 450 grams of crack. DeJarion admitted that the drugs were his and that he had sold crack in the past, but denied the gun was used to further his drug activities.
DeJarion grew up in a loving and supportive environment and had no criminal record except for a theft charge he received as a juvenile. After graduating from high school, he focused on working with troubled youth and was employed as a guard with the Texas Youth Commission, the state’s juvenile corrections agency, and as an aide at a psychiatric residential treatment facility for teenagers. After working there for two years, DeJarion decided he wanted to further his education and quit his job to go to school full time. He learned that he was ineligible to receive financial aide because he made too much money while employed and when he was unable to find a job in Waco, DeJarion made the foolish decision to sell crack cocaine to earn money. He has two daughters who were 7 years old and eight-months-old at the time of his sentencing.
Each of DeJarion’s offenses carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 120 months, to be served consecutively. After selling crack for six months, he was arrested and sentenced to twenty years in prison when he was just 23 years old. At his sentencing, U.S. District Judge Walter S. Smith, Jr. said, “This is one of those situations where I’d like to see a congressman sitting before me.”