A local man with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to life in prison Thursday, after being found guilty of dealing crack cocaine.
Tyrone Denard Anderson of Greenville was sentenced as a habitual criminal, after having been previously convicted of at least four felony offenses.
Anderson was convicted by a jury in the 354th District Court Wednesday of the charge of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, between 1 and 4 grams. Following a sentencing hearing Thursday, the jury assessed the life prison sentence, according to Hunt County District Attorney Noble D. Walker Jr.
“During the sentencing hearing, the State presented evidence that the defendant had been sentenced to the penitentiary on at least three previous occasions for two drug offenses and attempting to take a weapon from a peace officer,” Walker said. “Even though the amount of crack cocaine here was 2.44 grams, obviously the jury appreciated the seriousness of drug dealing as well as the defendant’s criminal history and appropriately assessed the maximum punishment available for this offense.”
Anderson was arrested in October 2013 on five separate drug-related charges and had been in custody at the Hunt County Jail since that time.
“My assistant Steve Lilley did a great job presenting this case to the jury and securing the life sentence,” Walker said. “Also, Greenville Police Officers Steve Walden, Warren Mitchell, and Jason Smith worked very hard on this case and we appreciate all their efforts to hold this defendant accountable for dealing crack.”
The charge for which Anderson was convicted is typically subject to a maximum sentence of from two to 20 years in prison and an optional fine of up to $10,000. Due to Anderson’s criminal history, he was subject to a punishment of from 25 years to life in prison.
Anderson, 43, received one indictment from the Hunt County grand jury in November for attempting to take a peace officer’s weapon. Anderson was alleged in the indictment to have attempted to remove a law enforcement officer’s firearm on Sept. 25, 2012. The indictment indicated Anderson had been convicted of the same charge in 1997 and also had been convicted of three counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count of delivery of a controlled substance since 1991.
Anderson was one of four people arrested that day when officers from the Greenville Police Department executed a search warrant in the 3600 block of Polk Street and discovered marijuana and cocaine located in several areas of the home.