SAN ANTONIO — A Houston man was sentenced Wednesday to 18 years in federal prison for leading a conspiracy that distributed more than 12 tons of marijuana nationwide.
The sentence comes 18 months after Michael Dewayne Dennis, also known as Michael Spiller, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Alia Moses ordered Dennis, 38, to pay a $2,500 fine and be placed on supervised release for a period of five years after completing his prison term, according to a news release issued by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The judge also ordered a $7.2 million judgment against Dennis for proceeds derived from his criminal conduct and granted the government’s motion that Dennis forfeit his interest in the following property:
• $197,313 in seized currency
• two Houston properties
• 19 firearms
According to evidence presented during the trial, the marijuana trafficking conspiracy led by Dennis operated from at least July 2014 through June 2018. During that time, Dennis and his co-conspirators were accused of importing marijuana from Mexico and transporting it to Dennis’ compound in Houston, where it was packaged for sale and distribution.
Dennis was convicted of facilitating the distribution of at least 11,194 kilograms, or more than 24,000 pounds, of marijuana throughout the scheme, the news release stated.
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