Laurel Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

Hattiesburg, Miss. -  A Laurel man pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge David L. Denton of Homeland Security Investigations.

Moses Ray McDonald, 43, pled guilty on December 1, 2022, in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg.

According to court documents, on June 8, 2022, the Jones County Mississippi Sheriff’s Office, Narcotics Division, made a controlled purchase of approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine from McDonald at the residence in which he was known to reside in Laurel.

McDonald was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

McDonald is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22, 2023, at 9:45 a.m., in Hattiesburg, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Border Enforcement Security Task Force (DHS Gulfport BEST), and the Jones County Mississippi Sheriff’s Office, Narcotics Division.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shundral Cole and Andrea Jones.