A Tupelo man was sentenced today to more than 16 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana.

According to court documents, Jeremy K. Mairidith, 40, was convicted following his guilty plea in November of leading a drug trafficking organization which conspired to sell and distribute methamphetamine and marijuana. On Thursday morning, U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Mairidith after hearing arguments and comments from Mairidith, his counsel, and prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“Today’s sentence demonstrates that individuals and drug trafficking organizations who bring narcotics and violence into our communities will not be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner said after the sentencing. “Our local, state and federal law enforcement partners who worked this investigation for years should be proud that the individuals involved were finally brought to justice.”

Mairidith was one of nine defendants convicted for his role in the drug trafficking organization.

The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and FBI Jackson Division’s Oxford Resident Agency investigated the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods programs in partnership with state and local law enforcement. Multiple agencies played critical roles in the investigation, including the Tupelo Police Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, North Mississippi Narcotics Unit, DEA, Corinth Police Department, Alcorn County Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi Highway Patrol, United States Postal Inspection Service, Mississippi Department of Corrections and the United States Marshal’s Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad M. Doleac, Jay Hale and Scott Leary prosecuted the case.