Local agency assisted in investigation
GREENVILLE — A Starkville man was sentenced June 7 to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and money laundering.
According to court documents, Terrance Chandler, 44, of Starkville, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute a controlled substance and one count of money laundering. Chandler was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown to 240 months in prison for both counts. He was further sentenced to three years of supervised release following his release from prison.
Court records show that Chandler was involved in a drug trafficking organization responsible for transporting large quantities of marijuana and methamphetamine from Texas and distributing them throughout the Northern District of Mississippi, the Southern District of Mississippi and elsewhere. The investigation of this drug trafficking organization and its participants spanned over a year. Chandler was indicted along with 14 other individuals, including a Webster County man.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program in partnership with state and local law enforcement.
Multiple agencies assisted with the investigation including the Webster County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Marshal’s Service, U.S. Postal Inspector’s Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Starkville Police Department, Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Department, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department.
“The U.S. Attorney’s office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of individuals who choose to illegally sell dangerous and unlawful drugs in our towns and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We hope that today’s sentence will make other individuals think twice before they choose to seek quick profits from distributing illicit drugs.”
“Terrance Chandler’s sentence is a victory for law enforcement and the people of Mississippi. Chandler was a major player in a drug trafficking organization that was responsible for bringing dangerous drugs into our state,” said Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw. “His conviction and sentence should send a clear message to other drug traffickers that they will be held accountable for their crimes. We will continue to work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly M. Hampton and Sam Stringfellow prosecuted the case.
