Wednesday, August 21, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 19 Jury convicts meth traffickers who operated in Central Oregon U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams announced that a fed- eral jury in Eugene has found two men guilty of traffick- ing methamphetamine from Southern California to Central Oregon and the Portland metro area for distribution. On August 9, 2019, Ronald Wayne Thrasher, 49, of Madras, was found guilty of purchasing and transporting methamphetamine for distri- bution. Thrasher9s supplier, Russell Marvin Jones, 53, of Gresham, was found guilty of selling methamphetamine and possessing a stolen firearm. Both men were also found guilty of being felons in pos- session of a firearm. Thrasher and Jones have each served time in prison for past convictions. Thrasher served time in federal prison for being a felon in posses- sion of a firearm and Jones in Oregon state prison for first degree manslaughter. Nine co-defendants have previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with Thrasher to possess with intent to distrib- ute methamphetamine and are awaiting sentencing: Jordan Michael Johnson, 57, of San Diego, California; Brenda Ann Lederman, 46, of Santee, California; Jason James Puckett, 46, of Prineville; Tyler Wayne Fuller, 30, Renee Marie Scarlett, 48, and Talina Shantel Ortiz, 45, of Madras; Jacklin Renee Bowlby, 36, of Bend; Kerry Wayne Hopson, 33, of Redmond; and Mistie Dawn Cooper, 39, of Alfalfa. Fuller also pleaded guilty to robbing a bank in Madras. According to court docu- ments and testimony produced at trial, in spring of 2016, Thrasher became acquainted with multiple co-defendants who were engaged in traf- ficking methamphetamine from Santee, San Diego, and Portland for resale in Central Oregon. Thrasher used these connections to establish a source of supply for his own use and distribution. In early 2017, after his pri- mary supplier was arrested in Redmond, an associate intro- duced Thrasher to Jones, a methamphetamine manufac- turer, dealer and user in the Portland area. On or about February 17, 2017, Thrasher traveled to Portland with his associates to meet Jones. During this meeting, Jones sold Thrasher several pounds of methamphetamine. On March 20, 2017, after several additional methamphetamine deals, Jones sold Thrasher a stolen firearm. By April 2017, Thrasher was distributing methamphet- amine via multiple associates throughout Central Oregon. On April 9, 2017, he was introduced to new California- based methamphetamine sup- pliers including Stevens. Two weeks later, Thrasher and an associate drove to Santee to meet with his new suppliers. VACCINATION: Personal, informed care benefits decisions going on in our community,= she said.