JACKSON, Miss. (Queen City Newsfeed) – A Meridian man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for operating a large-scale drug trafficking organization in east Mississippi, federal prosecutors said Friday.
Marcus Tremaine Powell, 40, conspired with at least 15 others in distributing kilogram quantities of powder and crack cocaine, along with large amounts of crystal methamphetamine, ecstasy and marijuana, according to court documents. Powell pleaded guilty in two separate indictments to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute multiple illegal drugs.
Under federal sentencing guidelines, Powell’s punishment was increased due to his lengthy criminal record in state court and his role as a manager or supervisor of a drug operation involving five or more people. Prosecutors said the sentence was also enhanced because a firearm was possessed during the crimes, Powell used or directed threats of violence, and he created a substantial risk of death or serious injury while fleeing law enforcement.
Powell was among about 50 people in the Meridian area arrested in January 2024 and charged in a series of nine federal indictments. He was charged in two of those cases.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the East Mississippi Drug Task Force, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi announced the sentence along with Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matthew Reidell, Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director Phillip Pope, and Lauderdale County Sheriff Ward Calhoun III.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla J. Clark and Adam T. Stuart prosecuted the case.
The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Justice Department initiative targeting cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime.
