ABERDEEN, MS – United States Attorney Scott F. Leary announced today that a federal jury convicted Varrick “Big V” Davis, 49, of Moss Point, Mississippi for his role in a methamphetamine pill distribution conspiracy. Davis was convicted following a five-day jury trial in front of Senior District Judge Sharion Aycock. According to evidence produced at trial, law enforcement began an investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine pills that were being manufactured in Lowndes County, Mississippi. Co-conspirators operated a pill press which manufactured thousands of pills each week which were distributed across Mississippi and into Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas. Davis was a distributor of these pills and was responsible for thousands of pills being distributed as part of this operation. Agents were able to dismantle the drug trafficking organization, seize the pill press, and seize a significant amount of methamphetamine capable of producing almost 10,000 pills. Fourteen defendants have now been convicted for their role in the drug conspiracy. Davis will be sentenced by Senior District Judge Sharion Aycock on a future date. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. The Rankin County Sheriff’s Department also provided assistance in this matter.

Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins said, “This case is a great example of what can be accomplished when local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies work together toward a common goal. The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, DEA, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office each brought valuable resources, experience, and investigative expertise to this case, and that partnership was critical to reaching a successful outcome. I also want to recognize the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi for its outstanding work in prosecuting this case. A strong investigation is only part of the process. Cases like this require a prosecutor who is willing to invest the time and effort necessary to understand the evidence, present it effectively, and aggressively pursue justice in federal court. The week-long trial demonstrates the commitment involved in seeing a case through from the initial investigation to a successful conviction.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Herzog Jr. and Kaylon McCou.

This prosecution was a part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Jackson comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ICE ERO, CBP, CBP OFO, CBP USBP, CBP AMO, CGIS, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS and with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi