2022-04-08

#county/Potter #offense/federal/PossCS/WID #event/sentencing

3 sentenced to total of 48 years after crashing into Potter County Deputy vehicle

POTTER COUNTY, Texas (KFDA) - A judge has sentenced three drug traffickers to a total of 48 years in prison after crashing into a Potter County Deputy vehicle.

According to the release, 31-year-old Kyle Willeke pleaded guilty in November 2021 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced Thursday for 20 years in federal prison.

35-year-old Ricardo Rodriguez, pleaded guilty to the same charge and was sentenced on Wednesday to 20 years in federal prison.

26-year-old Monique Derau, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and misprison of a felony and was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in federal prison.

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CaptionKyle Willeke

According to plea papers, on Aug. 19, 2021, a Potter County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to pull over a Toyota Rav4 for a traffic violation.

The deputy switched on his lights, but a Nissan Infiniti struck his patrol car, causing the vehicle to spin out of control.

Both the Rav4 and the Infiniti continued without stopping after the crash.

Law enforcement later identified the driver of the Rav4 as Ricardo Rodriguez, the driver of the Infiniti as Monique Derau, and the passenger who grabbed the wheel of the Infiniti to strike the deputy’s vehicle as Kyle Willeke.

Officers traced Derau’s phone and found her traveling east on I-40 in a rental car. They stopped the vehicle, which at that point was carrying Derau, Rodriguez, and Willeke.

During a safety sweep of Derau’s rental, they found a box containing seven bags of methamphetamine. Derau later told HSI agents that the drugs belonged to Rodriguez and Willeke.

When asked about their travel plans, she changed her story several times.