Michael Wells, 62, last known address in Kingsland, TX was sentenced by a Llano County jury to 10 years in the Texas Department of Corrections Institutional Division and a $2,500 fine for Possession of Cocaine after a 2 day trial in Blanco County.
In the early morning hours of September 18, 2016, Sunrise Beach police officer Reuben Sauceda conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Wells in a reckless manner. Deputy Ryne Van Pelt of the Llano County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene of the stop as backup to Officer Sauceda. After receiving consent to search the vehicle, Deputy Van Pelt discovered a small ziplock baggie containing cocaine on the passenger side floor board.
Wells was placed under arrest and the seized drugs were sent for analysis. The analyst with the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory in Austin, Texas confirmed the substance to be cocaine in an amount less than one gram. The punishment range for that amount of cocaine is normally 180 days to 2 years in a State Jail. However, due to Wells’ previous convictions for Theft and Possession of Cocaine the punishment was enhanced to that of a third degree felony which is 2-10 years in the penitentiary.
After the trial, prosecuted by the 33rd & 424th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the Llano jury returned a guilty verdict along with the maximum prison sentence.