A Lowndes County woman has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl and having a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Jaquelyne Leiataua of Columbus pled guilty in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as possession of a weapon in furtherance of those crimes.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson sentenced Leiataua to 85 months in prison for the drug offenses and 60 months for the weapon conviction, to be served concurrently. After completing her prison term, she will also undergo three years of supervised release.

“There are consequences for bringing deadly narcotics into our community and for using firearms to protect that illegal trade,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We are proud to stand with our partners at the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, DEA, and ATF in protecting our citizens from dangerous narcotics and from those that sell them.”

Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins also applauded the collaborative effort, pointing out that methamphetamine destroys families and communities.

“Those who traffic and sell this poison are contributing to death and destruction,” Hawkins said. “Through our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we have successfully prosecuted these offenders and kept them off the streets.”

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant US Attorney Clyde McGee prosecuted the case.