Lowndes County Woman Sentenced to 12 Years for Methamphetamine, Fentanyl Trafficking and Gun Possession

OXFORD, Miss. – A Lowndes County woman has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl while illegally possessing a firearm.

According to court documents, Jaquelyne Leiataua, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi to possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with intent to distribute, along with possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.

U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson sentenced Leiataua on Monday to 85 months for the drug charges and 60 months for the firearm charge, to run consecutively. She will also serve three years of supervised release following her prison term.

“There are consequences for bringing deadly narcotics into our community and for using firearms to protect that illegal trade,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We are proud to stand with our partners at the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, DEA, and ATF in protecting our citizens from dangerous narcotics and from those that sell them.”

Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins praised the outcome, noting the community is safer because of coordinated law enforcement work.

“Methamphetamine is a substance that devastates individuals and families; those who traffic and sell this poison are contributing to death and destruction,” Hawkins said. “This situation highlights the significance of collaboration in law enforcement.”

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee prosecuted the case.

The prosecution was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), a federal program designed to identify, disrupt, and dismantle high-level criminal organizations.