A North Texas man is headed to prison after being convicted of trafficking methamphetamine, the Collin County District Attorney's Office says.
District Attorney Greg Willis said deputies investigating a string of ATM thefts in May 2024 caught two men attempting to steal an ATM from a convenience store. One of the men was arrested at the store while the other man ran away.
Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are
WATCH HEREWillis said detectives identified 44-year-old Mike Stoker, from Farmersville, as the second man and arrested him at his home. Police said during the search of Stoker's residence, investigators discovered more than 70 grams of methamphetamines locked in a nightstand, along with scales, empty baggies, and prepped dosages for distribution.
According to a narcotics detective with the McKinney Police Department, Stoker possessed over 280 doses of meth. An analysis of his phone by the Wylie Police Department revealed multiple drug-related conversations with Stoker acting as the dealer.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning with NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP Investigators with the Collin County Sheriff's Office said they later connected Stoker to a string of burglaries across Collin and Hunt counties between April and May 2024.
During the trial, prosecutors introduced Stoker's criminal history, which included 17 previous convictions, 11 being felonies for drug trafficking and firearm offenses. Willis said Stoker had been in and out of state jail six times since 2000 and also served time in a federal prison. He was sentenced to four years in Hunt County in 2021 but was on parole when arrested in Collin County in 2024.
A jury found Stoker guilty of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, and Judge Benjamin Smith sentenced him to 47 years in prison. Due to his prior prison sentences, Texas law mandated a minimum of 25 years. Willis assured that Stoker's longer punishment would prevent him from continuing to repeat his past convictions.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
"For decades, Mike Stoker has stolen, sold poison, and shattered lives across Collin, Dallas, Grayson, and Hunt counties," Willis said. "Let this be a reminder: Collin County delivers tough justice to career criminals who prey on our communities."
