United States Drug Enforcement Administration

Oxford, MS – A Starkville man was sentenced Wednesday to 121 months for selling pounds of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Willie Saul Dean III, a/k/a “Buck Dean”, 45, of Starkville, Mississippi pleaded guilty in the United States District Court for the Northern District to Mississippi to one count of distribution of methamphetamine.  Dean was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown to 121 months. He was further sentenced to 5 years supervised release following his release from prison. As a part of the sentence, Dean was also ordered to forfeit $16,500.

“Citizens should have an expectation that drug dealers who peddle poison in their communities will be held accountable for their crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “This office will continue to join with DEA and our state and local partners to combat the distribution of illicit drugs that destroy lives in our communities.”

“Drug trafficking organizations use every method they can to distribute their poisoning,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley. “The sentencing of this offender should be a warning to anyone selling methamphetamine in Mississippi. The DEA, along with our law enforcement partners, is watching and you will be held accountable.”

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program in partnership with state and local law enforcement. Agencies assisting with the investigation included the United States Marshal’s Service and Clay County Sheriff’s Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee prosecuted the case.