A Picayune man was sentenced to 69 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 12 grams of heroin.
55-year-old Damon Andrew Stafford was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court records, in 2015, an investigation began into a large-scale drug trafficking organization located largely in Picayune (Pearl River County).
In 2019, Damon Stafford and Eric Slaydon were identified as being part of the conspiracy. Federal agents used a confidential source to begin making purchases of methamphetamine and heroin. On June 5, 2019, a confidential source purchased 12 grams of heroin from Damon Andrew Stafford and Eric Andrew Slaydon at Stafford’s home in Picayune.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Stafford and Slaydon. Both defendants pled guilty. Slaydon was sentenced on August 30, 2023, to 84 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
