June 20, 2023
By: Dwayne Page
A suspected drug dealer recently convicted for the possession of more than 300 grams of methamphetamine stemming from an April 2021 investigation was sentenced in DeKalb County Criminal Court Tuesday, June 20.
30-year-old Brandon Tylor Mulac received a sentence of 60 years as a career offender to serve at least 60% of the term before he is eligible for parole. Mulac, who is incarcerated, is expected to seek a motion for a new trial.
Judge Wesley Bray presided.
On Wednesday, May 17, a jury of seven women and five men found Mulac guilty of methamphetamine possession (300 grams or more) with intent to sell or deliver. Mulac was also fined $75,000. The jury found Mulac not guilty on a second charge of fentanyl possession with intent to sell or deliver.
Mulac was represented at trial by Smithville attorney Brad Hannah.
According to Greg Strong, Assistant District Attorney General, who spoke with WJLE after the trial, the DeKalb County charges against Mulac stemmed from a Smith County investigation where Mulac was found with drugs during a traffic stop in April 2021. Authorities there learned that Mulac had more drugs at a residence in Smithville and they contacted the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.
“We received information from the Smith County Sheriff’s Department that they had found Mulac in possession of a large amount of methamphetamine during a traffic stop there. Through that investigation we learned that a large amount of methamphetamine could be found in a house here on South Mountain Street where we believe Mulac had been staying. We obtained a search warrant based on that information and did find a large amount of methamphetamine at that residence,” said Strong.
“A co-defendant with Mulac, Logan Sullivan was also charged with the same offenses that night because she was at the house when the search warrant was served. She is now deceased,” Strong said.
“After Mulac was charged in Smith County, we had him arrested on a grand jury pickup indictment in 2021.
The Smith County case is still pending against him where he faces a Class-A felony,” Strong continued.
“We (prosecution) called six witnesses during the trial, all law enforcement officers and experts of the TBI crime lab. The defense called one witness who testified that Mulac did not live at the South Mountain Street residence where the meth was found but all the other information we had, pointed to the fact that Mulac did live there. The defense also contended that we (prosecution) didn’t prove that Mulac was in possession of the meth,” said Strong.
Based on his criminal record, Strong said the DA’s office sought maximum punishment for Mulac.
“We (prosecutors) filed a notice that Mulac is a career offender mostly for a history (total of 13 prior convictions for either aggravated burglary or aggravated assault offenses in Rutherford County),” said Strong”.
“I want to thank the Smith County Sheriff’s Department and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department for building a good case to go forward with and the cooperation both agencies showed. They both participated in the search warrant and a big thanks goes to both of them,” said Assistant DA Strong.