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Press Release

Purvis Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Mississippi

Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Purvis man was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.   

According to court documents, on or about January 10, 2020, Arsenio Tatum, 31, of Purvis, Mississippi, sold approximately a pound of methamphetamine at a residence located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.    

In addition to the prison sentence, Tatum was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.

The case is the result of an extensive investigation, dubbed “Don’t Tell On Me Bro,” which began as an operation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the Hattiesburg, Mississippi area. “Don’t Tell On Me Bro” 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.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Lamar County Sheriff’s Office, Forrest County Sheriff’s Office, Hattiesburg Police Department, Columbia Police Department and Marion County Sheriff’s Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.

Updated September 16, 2022

Topic
Drug Trafficking