FINAL DEFENDANT SENTENCED IN LARGE SCALE DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION

Oxford, MS – A Crowder woman was sentenced on Tuesday to 23 years in prison for selling methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Linda Hunt, 49, of Crowder, Mississippi pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District to Mississippi to distribution of methamphetamine. Hunt was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock on Tuesday afternoon to 276 months in prison for the drug trafficking. She was further sentenced to 5 years supervised release following her release from prison. Hunt agreed to a final order of forfeiture in the amount of $20,000.00 and is currently in custody.

Hunt oversaw the drug trafficking organization of other defendants who were charged with conspiracy to distribute drugs and drug distribution. The investigation of this drug trafficking organization and its participants spanned multiple years. 

“Criminal actions have consequences, and the sentences handed down to this trafficking organization demonstrate that the full force of the law will be employed to bring those consequences to drug dealers who introduce poison into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “Our federal and state law enforcement partners worked together seamlessly to bring down this organization, and the efforts of AUSA Clyde McGee to lead the prosecution of these defendants were exceptional as well.”

“I am proud to see the success of the partnership between the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Drug Enforcement Agency, and all other assisting agencies who worked together to ensure these criminals were held accountable for their actions,” said Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. “Thank you to everyone involved for playing a part in keeping our state and communities safe.”

“The Drug Enforcement Administration, alongside the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and dedicated local partners, applaud the sentencing of the final defendant in a multi-year investigation targeting a major drug trafficking ring,” said DEA New Orleans Division Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer. “This individual, who oversaw the illicit activities of others, has been held accountable thanks to a collaborative effort under Project Safe Neighborhoods and OCDETF. This case exemplifies the power of combined forces in dismantling drug trafficking organizations and keeping our communities safe.”

Below are the traffickers’ charges and sentences, made possible by OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood initiatives:

• Lucas Smith pleaded guilty on October 17, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Judge Neal B. Biggers, Jr. sentenced Smith to 240 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Smith agreed to a final order of forfeiture in the amount of $100,000.00.
• Preston Cross pleaded guilty on October 17, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Neal B. Biggers, Jr. sentenced Cross to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
• Terence Lomax pleaded guilty on November 9, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Lomax to 150 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
• Domonique Cross pleaded guilty on October 17, 2022, to conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Judge Neal B. Biggers, Jr. sentenced Cross to 30 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Cross agreed to a final order of forfeiture in the amount of $30,000.00.
• James Taylor pleaded guilty on June 7, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Taylor to 219 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
• Genise Cox pleaded guilty on November 29, 2022, to distribution of methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Cox to 26 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release.
• Alvin Johnson pleaded guilty on November 29, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Johnson to 130 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release.
• Brenda Hunt pleaded guilty on November 29, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Hunt to 60 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release.
• Dexter Ray pleaded guilty on December 2, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Ray to 78 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release.
• Demandrick Hayes pleaded guilty on March 8, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Hayes to 46 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release.
• Aaron Prince pleaded guilty on March 29, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Prince to 46 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
• Dana Smith pleaded guilty on June 7, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Smith to 125 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release.
• Anterion Wiley pleaded guilty on June 15, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Debra Brown sentenced to time served, followed by 5 years supervised release.
• Antonio Wiley pleaded guilty on March 29, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Debra Brown sentenced Wiley to 70 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
• William Garner pleaded guilty on October 4, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Garner to 78 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
• Contreal Bolden pleaded guilty on October 11, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Bolden to 43 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
• Damion Jones pleaded guilty on September 22, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Jones to 36 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
• Tommie Peoples pleaded guilty on August 1, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Neal B. Biggers, Jr. sentenced Peoples to 18 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
• Markell Crossgrove pleaded guilty on January 5, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Debra Brown sentenced Crossgrove to 60 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
• James Woods pleaded guilty on December 16, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Woods to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program in partnership with state and local law enforcement.  Agencies assisting with the investigation included the United States Marshal’s Service, the United States Postal Inspector’s Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Panola County Sheriff’s Office, Desoto County Sheriff’s Office, Tallahatchie County Sheriff’s Department, the Batesville Police Department, Charleston Police Department, and the Leflore County Sheriff’s Department.

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

This investigation and resulting case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case is also a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.