Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Heroin

Gulfport, Miss – Ambrose Dejuan Nelson, 40, of Dallas, Texas, pled guilty today before U.S. District U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to possession of a controlled substance, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze with Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

On July 7, 2018, a Jackson County Sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Nelson.  The deputy noticed Nelson, the sole occupant in the car, put something in the back seat.  He also noticed that Nelson appeared to be under the influence of something.  Nelson was administered several tests to determine whether he was in fact under the influence, and he failed all examinations. Nelson was subsequently arrested and he began to struggle with the deputy.  During the altercation, Nelson snapped his cell phone in half and destroyed it.  The deputy searched the rest of Nelson’s car and found a bag containing a substance which tested positive for heroin and weighed over 17 grams.  

Nelson will be sentenced on March 15, 2019, by Judge Ozerden, and faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk.