Joshua Taylor, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Mississippi 2021

Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine and Firearm Charges in Mississippi.

A Gulfport man has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Brad L. Byerley, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Joshua Taylor, 23, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and knowingly possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents and proceedings, on March 16, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Taylor in Gulfport. During the stop, officers found heroin, methamphetamine, other drugs, and a Glock 19, 9mm handgun, loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition.

A drug analysis indicates that Taylor possessed heroin, fentanyl, and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.

Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced on November 18, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. He faces a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison for the methamphetamine charge. For possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, he faces a minimum of 5 years in prison and a maximum of life, which must be served consecutively to the sentence on the methamphetamine charge.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner is prosecuting the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the government’s violent crime reduction efforts.

Defendant: Joshua Taylor. Charges: Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and knowingly possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. City and State: Gulfport, Mississippi. Exact Date: March 16, 2021. Sentence or Outcome: Scheduled to be sentenced on November 18, 2021.

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