Father and Son Sentenced in Methamphetamine Trafficking Investigation

JACKSON, MS – A father and son were sentenced to federal prison following a two-year-long drug trafficking investigation.

The investigation, led by the Covington County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, the Simpson County Sheriff’s Office, the Magee Police Department, the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), and the Drug Enforcement Administration, focused on Steven Lawrence Hand, 53, and Steven Tyler Hand, 29, of Mount Olive, Mississippi. In August 2019, the pair facilitated multiple sales of methamphetamine. In July 2020, the Covington County Sheriff’s Office obtained and executed search warrants at each of their residences. The warrants resulted in the seizure of 136 grams of methamphetamine and multiple firearms.

Following their arrests, both pled guilty to one count of Possession with the Intent to Distribute - 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine. On Friday, July 23, 2021, Steven Lawrence Hand and Steven Tyler Hand were sentenced in Federal Court to 170 months of incarceration in the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

“The Covington County Sheriff’s Office has been working hard on the drug problems in the county, and this investigation has been ongoing for the last two years,” said Covington County Sheriff Darrell Perkins.

“This investigation highlights the commitment among our state’s law enforcement agencies to work together to improve the quality of life in all Mississippi communities,” said Lt. Colonel Steven Maxwell, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director.