A father and son from Covington County were sentenced to federal prison following a two-year-long drug trafficking investigation.

According to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Steven Lawrence Hand, 53, and Steven Tyler Hand, 29, were sentenced to 14 years in prison on Friday, July 23, 2021.

The two were arrested as a part of an investigation that was led by the Covington County Sheriff’s Department, with help from the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Mississippi DPS said the pair made multiple sales of methamphetamine in August 2019, and in July 2020, the Covington County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at each of their homes.

136 grams of methamphetamine and multiple firearms were seized as a result of the warrants.

Both men pled guilty to one count of possession with the intent to distribute – 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

“The Covington County Sheriff’s Office has been working hard on the drug problems in the county, and this investigation has been ongoing for the last two years,” said Covington County Sheriff Darrell Perkins.

“This investigation highlights the commitment among our state’s law enforcement agencies to work together to improve the quality of life in all Mississippi communities,” said Lt. Colonel Steven Maxwell, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director.

The Smith County and Simpson County sheriff’s offices also assisted in the investigation, along with the Magee Police Department and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.