A local man who was arrested more than two years ago on federal charges for allegedly operating a drug ring out of the Hunt County Jail has had trial scheduled on multiple state-level counts of drug dealing and endangering a child.
The status of the federal indictments filed against Bobby Joe Evens of Greenville was unknown as of press time.
But during a Wednesday morning hearing in the 196th District Court, Judge Steve Tittle set a tentative May 12 jury trial date for Evens on two counts each of abandoning/endangering a child by criminal negligence and manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, namely cocaine in an amount of between four and 200 grams.
“We intend to proceed with our cases,” said Hunt County District Attorney Noble D. Walker Jr.
Tittle previously ordered Evens’ bonds in the cases forfeited and denied new bonds once Evens is returned to local custody.
The local indictments returned by the Hunt County grand jury alleged Evens was in possession of cocaine in May and November 2010, while one male and one female child were allegedly found to have amounts of illegal narcotics in their systems in November 2010.
The cocaine possession counts are first degree felonies, punishable upon conviction by a maximum sentence of from five to 99 years to life in prison.
The endangering a child counts each carry sentences upon conviction of up to two years in a state jail.
Law enforcement raids were conducted across the area in September 2011, in connection with an alleged drug ring operating out of the jail.
Evens, who was in custody at the jail at the time, is accused of using his estranged wife, a former jail employee, to continue to run his crack cocaine distribution operation following his arrest on multiple felony charges filed through the Greenville Police Department.
Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks said investigators with the Greenville Police Department learned Evens was using his wife to keep in contact with individuals outside the jail, while continuing to run the drug operation.
Evens is also facing a violation of his earlier parole.Trial
