Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

Gulfport, Miss. – A New Orleans man pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Yancy Johnson, 45, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.

According to court documents, in 2023, an investigation was initiated into a possible drug trafficking organization operating in Louisiana and the Southern District of Mississippi. Agents received information that narcotics were to be delivered at the Silver Slipper Casino in Hancock County. Yancy Johnson was arrested by law enforcement when he arrived at the Silver Slipper Casino to carry out the drug transaction. Agents recovered one ounce of fentanyl from Johnson which he had intended to sell to an individual at the casino. 

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin.  The DEA reports that two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.  More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl.

Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9, 2024, and faces up to twenty years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Hancock County Sherriff’s Office are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.