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Drug dealer gets 70 year sentence 
WEB IMAGE: This photo provided by the Williamson County District Attorney’s office was found on Bennie Paul Rangel’s MySpace.com Web page. |
A Taylor man was sentenced to 70 years in prison after being found guilty of dealing drugs. Bennie Paul Rangel, 26, of Taylor was convicted by a jury of two counts of dealing and possessing illegal drugs. The jury also found Rangel had used a deadly weapon during the felony offenses and imposed concurrent sentences of 70 and 10 years in prison and a total fine of $20,000. On April 21, 2006, Taylor police investigated suspicious narcotics activity taking place at the Econolodge Motel on Main Street. Police learned from people leaving the hotel that they had purchased cocaine and marijuana from Rangel. Officers obtained and executed a search warrant on Rangel's hotel room, finding 65 grams of cocaine and a pound and a half of marijuana. Officers also seized a handgun that was in a nightstand. According to officers, Rangel had attempted to reach for it when they entered the room. During the punishment phase of the trial, prosecutors presented evidence of Rangel's criminal history, including five prior misdemeanor convictions and two prior felony convictions. An expert from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice also testified that Rangel was a member of a prison gang, Texas Syndicate, and a street gang, Gangsta Disciples. A 17-year old girl also testified at punishment that Rangel sold her drugs for her to deliver in Taylor. “This drug dealer was quite bold,” District Attorney John Bradley said. “He had even bragged about his gangster lifestyle on his MySpace.com Web page. He included a picture of himself holding a stack of cash earned from his drug dealing.” Judge Billy Ray Stubblefield imposed the sentences on Rangel and ordered his transfer to a state prison. Rangel will not be eligible for parole for at least 30 years.
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