Bryan man sentenced to 50 years for drug trafficking

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – A Bryan man is now sentenced to five decades in prison for Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance in an amount over 400 grams.

Christopher Gutierrez pled guilty and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Gutierrez was on parole for drug trafficking at the time of the Brazos County offense.

A multi-agency investigation into Gutierrez’s trafficking began in late 2018.

By July 2019, investigators with the Bryan Police Department, the Houston Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety had established surveillance on Gutierrez. Through the investigation, they identified an associate of Gutierrez who was acting as a “drug mule” to transport cocaine from Houston to Brazos County. On multiple occasions, investigators observed Gutierrez and the associate travel separately to various locations in Houston, load bags into the associate’s vehicle, and then return to the associate’s residence in Bryan, where the bags were unloaded.

On September 4, 2019, investigators executed search warrants at the residences of Gutierrez and the associate. During the search of the associate’s residence, investigators located over two kilograms of cocaine. In addition, the search of Gutierrez’s residence and vehicle yielded over $30,000 in cash, as well as drug ledgers bearing the names of other known drug dealers.

Through their investigation, investigators established that Gutierrez was a high-lever supplier of cocaine to other drug dealers in Brazos County.

Gutierrez had previously been sentenced to prison three times.

In 2000, while on probation for Possession of a Controlled Substance, Gutierrez was convicted of the offense of Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

After his release, Gutierrez relocated to Harris County, where in 2011, he was convicted of Continuous Violence Against the Family and sentenced to 2 years in prison. On February 13, 2014, Gutierrez was arrested in Harris County after he was caught in possession of five kilograms of cocaine and was ultimately sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Because of his criminal history, Gutierrez’s range of punishment was between 25 years and 99 years or life imprisonment.

Assistant District Attorney Ryan Golden prosecuted the case on behalf of the State of Texas, with the help of Investigator James Woodward and investigators with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Bryan Police Department.

“Those that profit and enrich themselves at the expense of addicts are predators and endanger our community. Such conduct cannot be tolerated in Brazos County,” said Assistant District Attorney Ryan Golden.