Cody Criminal Phillip Dobbins Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Meth by Mail
Written by Andrew-Rossi on May 25, 2022
The saga of Cody criminal Phillip Dobbins continues as he pleads guilty to planning the sale of methamphetamine – in Park County and through the mail.
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced that 44-year-old Phillip Aaron Dobbins pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Dobbins changed his original plea of not guilty during a hearing before United States District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on May 9.
Courtesy Big Horn Sheriff’s Office
The charges stem from several incidents, including a meth-by-mail scheme and a drug bust traffic stop last year.
Dobbins was arrested and charged with two felonies in March 2021 after Cody cops found 12.5 ounces ($40,000 worth) of methamphetamine in his car. According to the evidence, Dobbins purchased the drugs in Denver to distribute in Park County.
Then, Dobbins escaped custody in October 2021 and eluded law enforcement for months before being captured on Jan. 5, 2022.
Dobbins faced two felony counts of possessing a controlled substance for a third or subsequent time and a misdemeanor count of driving while under the influence of a controlled substance.
Two of Dobbin’s accomplices – William Taylor and Melissa Walsh – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute drugs earlier this year. Both individuals assisted Dobbins by sending meth thru the U.S. Postal Service.
Taylor sent Dobbins meth thru the mail from July 2020 to July 2021. Walsh participated in the meth mail scheme from her home in Sacramento, California.
William Taylor was sentenced to 60 months (five years) imprisonment for his involvement with the meth mail conspiracy. Once released, he will serve four years of supervised release and pay $250 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.
Melissa Walsh was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $200 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.
A fourth person, Cody resident Natosha Martin, was arrested as she was traveling with Dobbins in the vehicle containing the $40,000 of methamphetamine. Initially released at the traffic stop, Martin was arrested after admitting she knew the drugs were in the car.
Martin is currently serving a 37-month prison sentence and three years of supervised release. She was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute drugs.
Now, the operation’s ringleader will receive his sentence – which could cost millions of dollars and decades of his life.
Because of his role in the scheme and previous convictions, Dobbins faces the most severe charges. As a result, he could spend the rest of his life in jail for his numerous felonies.
Phillip Dobbins faces a maximum sentence of 5 to 40 years’ imprisonment, four years to life of supervised release, up to $5 million in fines, and a $100 special assessment. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dobbins’s sentencing is scheduled for July 28.
This crime was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, the Cody Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Forwood is prosecuting the case.
