A 63-year-old Austin man is headed to prison for 15 years after a Williamson County jury convicted him of trafficking cocaine and the psychedelic compound psilocin, a case built on months of police surveillance, a December 2023 search warrant, and cellphone video prosecutors say showed him cooking crack cocaine in his own apartment. Joe Oscar Rodriguez was found guilty on Oct. 2 of possessing both drugs with intent to deliver, and received concurrent 15-year sentences on each charge.
A Months-Long Investigation Into an Austin Apartment
According to KXAN Austin, the case began in July 2023 when Austin police detectives received information alleging Rodriguez was running a drug-trafficking operation. Detectives spent the next several months conducting surveillance on Rodriguez and his Austin apartment, watching his movements from July through December of that year before taking the next step.
That next step came in December 2023, when police executed a search warrant at Rodriguez's residence. Inside, the outlet's report notes, detectives said they found significant quantities of cocaine and psilocin — the psychoactive compound found in psychedelic mushrooms — along with digital scales, baggies, and a document listing drug prices. Investigators also recovered an AR-15-style pistol and a 9mm handgun from Rodriguez's bedroom, according to the same account.
Cellphone Video Became Key Evidence at Trial
Prosecutors built part of their case around video pulled from Rodriguez's own cellphone, which they said showed him cooking crack cocaine and discussing the quality of the product. Combined with the drugs, packaging materials, and firearms found during the search, that evidence led the Williamson County jury to convict him on Oct. 2 of possessing cocaine and psilocin with intent to deliver, per the station's report.
The Williamson County District Attorney's Office said Rodriguez was sentenced after that conviction to 15 years in prison on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently. Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick said the verdict sends a message that drug traffickers pushing poison for profit in Williamson County will be held accountable. His office, the same report states, remains committed to prosecuting drug-trafficking crimes and promoting community safety.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Williamson County Drug Cases
Rodriguez's case follows other recent Williamson County drug prosecutions. A Taylor man was sentenced to 43 years in prison last year after being convicted of cocaine charges by a Williamson County jury, according to CBS Austin. More recently, a five-month Williamson County narcotics investigation led to two arrests and the seizure of methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, firearms and cash during searches in Elgin and Taylor, as reported by KXAN in July.
