Conel Lamont Holloway, a resident of Picayune, has entered a guilty plea for the charge of possession with intent to distribute 27 grams of methamphetamine, according to court records.

The guilty plea stems from an investigation revealing that Holloway, 40, sold the illicit substance for $700 during a controlled sale orchestrated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Picayune, Mississippi. Following an indictment by a federal grand jury on September 7, 2022, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Holloway is scheduled for sentencing on March 5, 2024.

The potential penalties for Holloway include a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum penalty of up to 40 years in prison. The actual sentence will be determined by a federal district judge, taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The announcement of Holloway’s guilty plea came from U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The investigation into this case was a joint effort by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is handling the prosecution.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which aims to identify, disrupt, and dismantle high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The initiative employs a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach, leveraging the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.