A Gulfport man was sentenced on May 29 to life in prison for fentanyl offenses and 300 months in prison for conspiracy to commit witness tampering.
According to evidence presented during trial, while incarcerated at the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Beaumont, Texas, Agee directed a drug trafficking conspiracy based in Gulfport, Mississippi. Agee instructed other members of the conspiracy to make fentanyl sales, transfer proceeds from those sales, and store fentanyl using messaging applications, text messages, and video calls on a contraband cell phone. He also arranged shipments of fentanyl from Mexico to Gulfport for distribution. Law enforcement seized over 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl during the investigation; ultimately, more than 4 kilograms were attributed to Agee’s operation.
Shortly before trial began, law enforcement discovered that Agee was conspiring with others to tamper with government witnesses. He was subsequently charged with conspiracy to commit witness tampering and pleaded guilty.
“We will continue to aggressively pursue those traffickers who flood our communities with poison. This case demonstrates that organized crime can operate from anywhere,” said U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger. “I commend my prosecutors and law enforcement partners for their life-saving work and continued commitment to this effort.”
“Fentanyl is a devastating plague on our communities, and the lengths to which this individual went to sustain his criminal enterprise – using contraband phones from prison and conspiring to tamper with government witnesses – demonstrates a complete disregard for human life and the law,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw. “Thanks to the seamless, coordinated efforts of our law enforcement partners, a major source of synthetic opioids has been permanently dismantled, ensuring our neighborhoods are safer today.” U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case with assistance from the Gulfport Police Department, Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, and Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hunter McCreight and Jonathan Buckner prosecuted it.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi includes offices in Jackson, Gulfport and Hattiesburg; operates under direction of the Attorney General; encompasses 45 counties across 25,000 square miles; prosecutes federal crimes; handles civil lawsuits for the government; collects federal debts; covers counties in southern Mississippi; and serves as chief federal law enforcement officer for its jurisdiction, according to the official website.