JACKSON – A Crystal Springs man was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 429.9 grams of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Marcus Baldridge a/k/a Possum a/k/a Lil One, 40, of Crystal Springs, Mississippi, negotiated the sale of a pound of methamphetamine to an individual. During the sale, Baldridge realized he lacked two ounces to complete the pound. Baldridge left the buy location to meet with his source of supply, then returned to the location and provided the two ounces of methamphetamine to his co-conspirator, Dremarcus Taylor, who subsequently provided the two ounces to the buyer to complete the transaction. The substances sold by Baldridge were analyzed by the DEA Laboratory and confirmed to be methamphetamine hydrochloride with a combined net weight of 429.9 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine.

Dremarcus Taylor entered a plea of guilty for his role and is scheduled for sentencing on May 21, 2024.

This case is the result of an extensive investigation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the Hinds County, Mississippi, and surrounding areas. The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Mike Arnett of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.