Texarkana federal inmate sentenced for trafficking drugs in prison

TEXARKANA, Texas - A Texarkana federal inmate has been sentenced to an additional 87 months for trafficking drugs inside the prison, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.

Verlan Perez, Jr., 36, of Dallas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and buprenorphine and was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III, on September 11, 2024.

According to information presented in court, in March 2021, mail staff at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Texarkana, Texas, intercepted two incoming packages addressed to federal inmate, Verlan Perez, Jr. The packages contained buprenorphine, a controlled substance. Further investigation revealed Perez was conspiring with Rosa Solano-Olivares, to have her deliver methamphetamine into the prison, which he would then distribute to others inside the prison. On October 30, 2021, Solano-Olivares entered the FCI Texarkana to visit Perez. After she entered and exited the women's restroom in the visitation area, prison staff conducted a search of the restroom and located a package of methamphetamine rolled in black electrical tape, a baggie of marijuana, and rolling papers. Perez was responsible for distributing 43 grams of methamphetamine in FCI Texarkana.

Perez was ordered to serve this sentence consecutively to his current federal sentence of 157 months for drug trafficking imposed on January 30, 2019, in the Northern District of Texas. On July 16, 2024, Rosa Solano-Olivares, 41, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for her role in the offense.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Prisons-FCI Texarkana; Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Lab; and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Crime Lab. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allen Hurst and Lauren Richards.

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