A Wilkinson County man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette, III, to 168 months in federal prison for participation in an interstate drug trafficking operation distributing kilogram quantities of illegal drugs in the Natchez area from 2016 through 2018.
51-year-old Sammy Davis Wright, of Woodville, MS, was indicted by a federal grand jury and subsequently pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride; conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Wright’s federal prison sentence includes 108 months in prison for his drug crimes, to be followed by a separate 5-year sentence for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Wright’s sentence includes a penalty for being an organizer or leader of criminal activity and a penalty for maintaining premises for the purpose of drug distribution. Court records reflect that Wright has prior convictions in Wilkinson County Circuit Court in 2001 and 2002 for the sale of controlled substances.
According to court documents, Wright conspired with Kevin Singleton, of Natchez, Wesley Bell, of Natchez, Jimmie Lee Swearengen, Jr., of Mesquite, TX, Gregory Woodard, of Crosby, Roy Goodrich, of Baton Rouge, LA, Jerry Lee White, Jr., of Gloster, and Denonta Thadison, of  McComb. Singleton, Woodard, Goodrich, White, and Thadison have already been sentenced for their crimes.
Kevin Singleton, as head of the interstate drug trafficking organization, received a 35-year prison sentence from U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette, III, in September 2021. Woodard, Goodrich, and White received smaller prison sentences in 2020 ranging between 2½ and 3 years for their minimal involvement in the drug trafficking operation. Thadison was sentenced on November 15, 2022, to 87 months in prison for cocaine distribution in the Natchez area. Swearengen was separately sentenced today for his participation in drug trafficking operations in the Natchez area. Bell is currently awaiting sentencing.
