Tharon Jamell Taylor, 27, of Pascagoula, Mississippi, admitted in federal court Wednesday to conspiring to distribute a minimum of 500 grams of methamphetamine, a case rooted in a high-stakes sting that ended with a bag of nearly 2,000 grams of pure crystal meth changing hands in an Ocean Springs parking lot.
The guilty plea, entered before U.S. District Court Judge Sul Ozerden in Gulfport, stems from a controlled delivery on August 20, 2017, orchestrated by federal agents using a cooperating source. Prior to the handoff, a recorded phone call captured Taylor directing the source to meet him at his apartment complex. Surveillance teams watched as Taylor approached the vehicle, reached into a bag containing the 1,964 grams of 100% pure meth, and was immediately seized by FBI agents.
According to court documents, the cooperating source had previously delivered narcotics from Texas to Taylor over an extended period, feeding a distribution network now under federal scrutiny. After Taylor’s arrest, agents executed a search of his apartment, uncovering a stash of cash, digital scales, additional methamphetamine, and a loaded, stolen handgun tucked inside a bedroom drawer.
The discovery of the firearm triggered additional penalties under federal sentencing guidelines, elevating the severity of the case. Taylor now faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine when he’s sentenced on June 26, 2018. Prosecutors are expected to argue for a harsh sentence based on the drug quantity, the weapon, and evidence of ongoing trafficking.
The investigation was led by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force in Pascagoula, which has cracked numerous drug rings operating along the Gulf Coast. Agents used wiretaps, confidential informants, and forensic tracking to dismantle the network that brought mass quantities of meth from border states into Mississippi.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk is prosecuting the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze confirmed the plea, calling it a critical blow to drug trafficking in Jackson County. Taylor remains in federal custody pending sentencing.
Related Federal Cases
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Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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