Joseph Daniel White Sentenced To 276 Months For Methamphetamine and Firearms Convictions

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On March 4, 2024, Joseph Daniel White, 39, currently of Kingsport, Tennessee, was sentenced to 276 months by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. 

As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, White agreed to plead guilty to Possession of 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) and Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii).  Following his incarceration, White will be on eight years of supervised release.  White forfeited $23,668 in cash, as well as seven firearms and ammunition.

According to the plea agreement and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, officers with the Bristol Tennessee Police Department responded to The Pinnacle shopping area on December 23, 2021.  Upon arrival, officers encountered White, who appeared intoxicated and smelled of marijuana.  During a search of White and his vehicle, officers located three bags containing 309 grams of methamphetamine, four loaded firearms, $13,861 in cash, drug paraphernalia, psilocybin mushrooms, and various narcotic pills.

On January 10, 2022, law enforcement received a tip that White, who had outstanding arrest warrants, was at a convenience store in Blountville, TN.  When law enforcement went to arrest White, he displayed a firearm. Officers were able to grab the firearm and White was arrested.  Officers recovered $9,807 in cash, three firearms, heroin, marijuana, and 352 grams of methamphetamine from the defendant.  

U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge, Marcus Watson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.  

The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Bristol Tennessee Police Department and the ATF.  This investigation was led by ATF Special Agent Jamie Jenkins.

Assistant United States Attorney B. Todd Martin represented the United States.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive national strategy that creates local partnerships with law enforcement agencies to effectively enforce existing gun laws.  It provides more options to prosecutors, allowing them to utilize local, state, and federal laws to ensure that criminals who commit gun crimes face tough sentences.  PSN gives each federal district the flexibility it needs to focus on individual challenges that a specific community face.

                                                                                                          ###