A Jackson County man who skipped court in February prior to a jury returning a verdict of guilty for drug trafficking and possession has been sentenced to prison, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch and Sheriff Chip Hall said in a joint announcement.
Phillip Jordan Andrews, 25, must serve a minimum of 70 months in prison to a maximum of 93 months for trafficking in opiates by sale and trafficking in opiates by possession. He must pay a mandatory fine of $50,000.
In connection with a separate, March 8, 2020, incident, Andrews also must serve a consecutive sentence of 32-51 months for second-degree burglary and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.
Andrews also received a third consecutive sentence of 6-17 months, suspended. He will be placed on supervised probation for 60 months for possession with intent to sell and deliver fentanyl and the drug’s direct precursor, ANPP.
On Aug 5, 2020, Jackson County investigators and SBI agents arranged a controlled “buy” at Andrew’s residence. They seized a plastic bag that contained 6.98 grams of both fentanyl and ANPP, or anilino-N-phenethylpiperidine, a direct precursor to fentanyl.
After Andrews absconded, authorities issued arrest warrants and entered his name into the National Criminal Information Computer network.
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Andrews on March 7 as he attempted to re-enter the United States from Mexico, outside of San Diego, California. He was extradited to Jackson County on April 22.
- Office of District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch release
