A Lowndes County woman has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
According to court documents, Jaquelyne Leiataua, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of those crimes.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson sentenced Leiataua to 85 months in prison on the drug charges and 60 months on the firearm charge, to be served consecutively. She will also serve three years of supervised release after completing her prison sentence.
“There are consequences for bringing deadly narcotics into our community and for using firearms to protect that illegal trade,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We are proud to stand with our partners at the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, DEA, and ATF in protecting our citizens from dangerous narcotics and from those that sell them.”
Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins also praised the cooperative effort, noting that methamphetamine devastates families and communities.
“Those who traffic and sell this poison are contributing to death and destruction,” Hawkins said. “Through our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we have successfully prosecuted these offenders and kept them off the streets.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee.
