Lufkin man sentenced to federal prison for drug and gun crimes

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas has announced that a Lufkin man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug and gun crimes. Prosecutors say a federal jury convicted 40-year-old John Richard Burch, Jr. on four counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Intent to Distribute Drugs on a Premises Where Children are Present, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone sentenced Burch to 19 years and 7 months. According to prosecutors, the case against Burch began in early 2022 when law enforcement executed a search warrant at his house, where small children lived. Officers found a large amount of methamphetamine, marijuana, multiple digital scales used to weigh narcotics, small plastic baggies used to package methamphetamine, a methamphetamine bong, and a total of nine firearms, two of which were stolen.