Fentanyl Dealer in Lowndes County Sentenced in Homeland Security Task Force Case

ABERDEEN, MS –   U.S. Attorney Scott Leary announced that law enforcement agencies came together in the Northern District of Mississippi to bring a fentanyl dealer to justice. 

Joshua Wilson, 35, of Columbus, Mississippi, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison and 3 years supervised release after previously pleading to the distribution of hundreds of fentanyl pills. U.S. District Judge Robert P. Chamberlin sentenced Wilson.

“Our families must stay vigilant,” stated U.S. Attorney Scott F. Leary. “Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate that is roughly 50 times stronger than heroin, and dramatically stronger than oxycodone. It is mass produced in China and generally shipped to Mexico to be trafficked into our country by the cartels. Fentanyl kills thousands of Americans every year. Often people think they are buying prescription drugs on the black market, when in reality they are purchasing pressed fentanyl, extremely potent. And as I said, the result is thousands of overdoses. Pills are not recreational! Remember to talk to your kids about the danger. We proudly support DEA's campaign of 'One Pill Can Kill' as we continue the fight against fentanyl. The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office is the gold standard, thank you and great work. As always, the United States Marshal service is fantastic.” 

“Fentanyl continues to pose a deadly threat to our communities, but through interagency collaboration like the Homeland Security Task Force, we are holding dealers accountable. This sentence sends a clear message that the DEA and our law enforcement partners will stop at nothing to remove illicit drugs and violent criminals from Mississippi,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge John P. Scott, New Orleans Field Division.

Sheriff Eddie Hawkins from the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office stated, “Fentanyl continues to pose a serious threat to our community, and those who choose to distribute this dangerous drug must understand that law enforcement will pursue them and hold them accountable. This sentence is the result of outstanding collaboration between our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners. The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department remains committed to working alongside agencies such as the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, and the United States Attorney’s Office to identify drug traffickers, remove dangerous narcotics from our community, and protect the citizens of Lowndes County. This case sends a clear message: if you distribute fentanyl in our community, we will work together to bring you to justice.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Unit investigated the case with assistance from the United States Marshal’s Service. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee prosecuted the case.

This operation and conviction is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion.  The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating tin the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children.  The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Jackson comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ICE ERO, CBP, CBP OFO, CBP USBP, CBP AMO, CGIS, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS and with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.