A 50-year-old Hutchinson man arrested in June of last year after the Reno County Drug Unit served a search warrant on his home has been indicted by a Federal Grand Jury on a drug distribution charge.
Jimmie Lee Banks had been charged in District Court with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to package for distribution and two counts of no drug tax stamp. The first count we just mentioned is the charge he faces in federal court.
The charges are a result of a search in the 4000 block of West 43rd. He was the only one at the residence at the time of the search and they allegedly found about 3-quarters of a pound of ice methamphetamine with an estimated street value of 33-thousand, 600-dollars. They estimate the drug selling at around 100-dollars per-gram.
Banks also allegedly had a large amount of cash on him, over 10-thousand dollars as well as scales and bags allegedly used to package the drug for distribution. Banks also had a small amount of marijuana, which appears was for his own personal use.
He’s been awaiting trial in front of Judge Trish Rose, but with the feds taking the case, the state charges will be dropped.
If convicted in federal court, Banks faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years in federal prison and a fine up to $5 million.