Corrie Montrell Hinton, a resident of Picayune, has been sentenced to 159 months in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The sentencing took place in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.

Hinton, 46, was implicated in a large-scale drug trafficking operation in Picayune, Mississippi, dating back to 2015. The investigation gained momentum in 2019 when DEA agents in Imperial County, California, in collaboration with their counterparts in Gulfport, orchestrated an undercover purchase of five pounds of methamphetamine. This operation led to the arrest of two drug traffickers in Riverside County, California, one of whom was identified as a key supplier for the drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Picayune.

Evidence obtained from cellphones belonging to one of the arrested traffickers revealed communication between Hinton and the trafficker regarding drug transactions, shipments, and account numbers for financial transfers.

Hinton entered a guilty plea on October 4, 2023, admitting to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration jointly announced the sentencing.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose leading the prosecution.

This case forms part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF initiatives are aimed at identifying, disrupting, and dismantling high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. This approach utilizes a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency strategy that harnesses the collective resources of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to combat criminal networks threatening the United States.