A Mississippi father and son were both sentenced Friday (July 23) to more than 14 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Steven Lawrence Hand, 53, and Steven Tyler Hand, 29, of Mount Olive, sold methamphetamine to an individual on multiple occasions in August of 2019 and both were found to be in possession of additional methamphetamine during a search of their respective residences on July 23, 2020.

Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Brad Byerley, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration announced the verdict in a news release Friday.

The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury and both pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.

The case is the result of an extensive Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, dubbed “Operation: Bulldog,” which began as an operation targeting illegal methamphetamine distribution in south Mississippi.  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 Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Keesha D. Middleton prosecuted the case.