He was already in prison — then he tried selling drugs from his cell in Lubbock

A Lubbock man was caught attempting to sell illegal drugs once again, this time from inside prison walls.

Lubbock Inmate Drug Bust

33-year-old Ronnie Garcia was sentenced to 15 years in prison back in 2021 after pleading guilty to his role in a massive cocaine trafficking ring.

He faced 10 years to life in prison but later discoveries had more than doubled his sentence.

In March of 2024, law enforcement received a search warrant at Garcia's home. It was here where they discovered 16,300 grams of methamphetamine, over 8,000 blue fentanyl pills, and about three pounds of marijuana.

Investigators also seized over $13,700 in cash tied to the trafficking from Garcia's home.

Lubbock Inmate's Drug Sale from Prison

Through extensive investigation, officers also discovered that Garcia had been in contact with another man, 43-year-old Jason Morrison, as they attempted to close a meth deal. 

What landed Garcia in more hot water was the fact that he was only a few years into his 15-year sentence at the time, and the cell phone that he used to communicate with Morrison was contraband from inside his prison cell. 

In addition to the two men, Garcia's girlfriend, 32-year-old Gabriella Renee Esquivel, was sentenced for her involvement in collecting the money for the sale of the illegal narcotics, believed to have ties to Mexican cartels. 

Ronnie Garcia received a 405-month (over 33 years) sentence for the use of the contraband cell phone to facilitate a drug deal that he will serve following his existing 15-year sentence.