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An Arlington woman who shipped packages containing methamphetamine for her son, who sold the drugs online, has been sentenced to six years in federal prison.
Mary Jane McIntyre, 61, pleaded guilty in December to one count of possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute. A judge sentenced her Thursday.
According to court documents, authorities intercepted a “suspicious” package bearing the return address of a fake business in March 2020, which they believed was linked to the sale of narcotics on the “dark web” — internet content that cannot be accessed with standard browsers and which tends to be associated with illegal activity. The package contained several grams of meth.
Investigators traced the package to McIntyre’s son, 29-year-old Sean Alexander Harris, and surveilled him as he mailed similar packages at post offices around the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Authorities also observed McIntyre mailing packages for Harris.
When special agents with the U.S. Postal Service searched McIntyre’s home in October, they reported finding meth, vacuum-seal bags and shipping supplies, as well as about $23,000 in several envelopes hidden behind pictures on the walls.
In all, officials said they identified more than 8,000 packages containing more than 75 pounds of meth during their investigation into the scheme.
Court documents show that McIntyre attempted to withdraw her guilty plea last month, with her lawyer arguing that she was an unknowing mule duped by her son, but that motion was later withdrawn.
Harris pleaded guilty in November to one count of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. He was sentenced last month to 12 years in federal prison.
“Suspects mistakenly believe they can remain hidden in the shadows of the dark web,” Thomas Noyes, inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Fort Worth division, said in a written statement. “The sentencing handed down today should serve as a reminder to other perpetrators engaged in this type of criminal activity that we will ensure they are brought to justice.”