Texas judge orders woman to law school after pleading guilty to drug conspiracy

As a special condition to her supervised release, a Texas woman was ordered by a judge to finish law school after being arrested on charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — As a special condition to her supervised release, a woman was ordered by a Texas judge to finish law school after being arrested on charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

Chelsea Madill was sentenced Jan. 9 to three years of supervised release with a special condition that she must "participate and complete an educational program designed to receive a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree," federal records show.

As part of a plea agreement, Madill pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute narcotics.

According to a criminal complaint, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Texas Department of Public Safety began investigating a drug trafficking organization in South Texas. On May 25, 2018, agents began surveilling a warehouse at the 1300 block of E. Pecan Boulevard in McAllen.

There, agents saw a red Nissan that belonged to Madill, the complaint stated. Authorities then saw Madill exit the warehouse and direct a man driving a tractor-trailer to back up to the loading dock of a warehouse labeled "M."

Agents followed the trailer and conducted a traffic stop where they found 22 vacuum-sealed bundles of cocaine, weighing 62 pounds, according to the complaint.

Authorities examined phone records that showed Madill was using a cell phone to communicate with members of the drug trafficking organization, the complaint indicated.

An investigation revealed that Madill used her company "Monsters Inc. Logistics" to obtain the warehouse and that she purchased several GPS tracking devices to track the cocaine loads, the document shows. Several bills of lading showed "Monsters Inc Logistics" as the shipper, with another one of her companies "Titanium Wholesale Retail" as the receiver in Lombard, Illinois, according to the complaint.

On May 31, 2018, Madill traveled to Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, where she was under surveillance by DEA agents, the complaint stated.

"DEA Agents conducted surveillance on Madill upon arrival in Merida, and observed Madill meet with the leader of the [drug trafficking organization], who is based in Mexico," the complaint stated.

According to the complaint, on June 3, 2018, Madill boarded a flight back to Atlanta, Georgia. Upon entry, CBP inspectors were able to verify she had the same phone she was using to communicate with other members of the organization, the document states.

The complaint states that on Aug. 8, 2018, agents received permission to search the warehouse where they found "multiple bills of lading for MONSTERS INC. LOGISTICS and TITANIUM WHOLESALE AND RETAIL."

Agents also found a vacuum sealer and plastic wrappings at the warehouse.

A "cooperating defendant" told authorities that Madill was working for the organization as a drug trafficker, the complaint stated.

Records show that on Aug. 2, 2019, Madill signed a plea agreement that dismissed a second count of selling, distributing or dispensing narcotics.

Madill was also given time served as part of her sentencing.