Accused drug trafficker denied pretrial release request

TEXARKANA, Texas -A federal judge in Texarkana denied an accused drug dealer's request for pretrial release following a digital hearing Thursday morning.
Jacory DeWayne Coulter, 34, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline Craven for a detention hearing, via Cisco video conferencing software, from the Titus County jail in Mount Pleasant. Coulter's lawyer, Jeff Harrelson, filed a motion earlier this month requesting pretrial release because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coulter is charged in the Texarkana Division of the Eastern District of Texas with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
The case is currently scheduled for a July 27 jury trial before U.S. District Judge Robert Schroeder III in Texarkana's downtown federal building.
Under questioning from Harrelson, Coulter testified that he is suffering from high blood pressure, heart problems and has issues with a leg he injured when he "fell into a hole" a few years ago. At Harrelson's request, Coulter stood at one point and showed his injured leg to the judge. Coulter said he suffers pain and recurrent infection in his leg.
Under questioning by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Hornok, Coulter expressed a lack of familiarity with Centers for Disease Control guidelines to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Hornok asked Coulter why he has repeatedly refused to have his blood pressure checked while in the Titus County jail. Coulter said a new nurse in training would note a refusal when he declined to have his pressure measured in the morning when he was sleeping. Coulter said his doctor has advised him to check his blood pressure at night and claimed staff at the jail were checking his pressure in the evenings despite a lack of documentation in his medical records from the jail.
Harrelson pointed out that he received a letter from a jail nurse stating that Coulter has been receiving breathing treatments while in jail and noted a lack of documentation of such in Coulter's medical records.
When asked where he intended to live if released, Coulter said he would move into the house where he lived at the time of his arrest and live with his girlfriend and son. Hornok argued that investigators have video allegedly showing Coulter selling drugs from the same house he proposed to return to upon release.
Hornok also pointed to Coulter's prior noncompliance with conditions of release. Coulter was granted release in April 2019 on a $10,000 unsecured appearance bond. Officials sought to return Coulter to custody because of numerous drug tests which showed marijuana use. Coulter has been back in custody since August.
Hornok argued that Coulter is likely safer from exposure to COVID-19 while in the Titus County jail than if he were to return to the community. Hornok said newly detained persons are separated from other inmates for 14 days before they are placed in the jail's general population and that no cases of the virus have been found in the Titus County jail.
Craven said the court is "very familiar" with Coulter and noted that she has held several detention hearings previously during which she found Coulter did not comply with conditions of release.
Coulter faces a minimum 10-year sentence on the conspiracy charge and could receive up to life in federal prison.