Drug trafficker gets 30-year prison term
Paul Edward Davis, a six-foot-eight, 350-pound multiple felon, was sentenced to more than 30 years in federal prison Wednesday for possessing with the intent to distribute massive amounts of methamphetamine and marijuana.
He’s a facing an additional five years in a separate case for violating terms of his supervised release by committing crimes in Las Vegas while on federal supervision from a Kansas drug trafficking conviction.
Nevada Highway Patrol troopers seized 24 pounds of methamphetamine and 74 pounds of marijuana, valued at more than $1 million, from Davis’ Chevy Tahoe during a traffic stop on Interstate-15 in July 2013
Following a two-day trial in December, a federal jury convicted the 49-year-old Kansan of two felony drug charges stemming from the highway seizure. Because he was prone to outbursts in court, Davis was shackled at the time to an 80-pound weight. Extra U.S. marshals were on hand to maintain security.
Davis was not restrained that way in court Wednesday but repeatedly interrupted U.S. District Judge Andrew Gordon during the sentencing. He accused Gordon, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amber Craig and his own lawyer, Chris Rasmussen, of “cheating” him during his case.
“Dude, I don’t care what you do today,” he told Gordon. “You can say a thousand years. It’s not going to count. You’re wasting your time.”
The combative Davis said he planned to appeal the conviction.
Craig had sought the stiff prison term.
“This is a man who needs to be removed from society for a long period of time,” she said.
Rasmussen sought a 20-year prison sentence, arguing Davis was only a courier and minor player in the drug trafficking organization.
Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Find him on Twitter @JGermanRJ
