United States Drug Enforcement Administration

Oxford, MS – Two Lowndes County men were sentenced yesterday for drug trafficking in Northern Mississippi. 

According to court documents, Charles Stephen Farrar, Jr., of Columbus, Mississippi, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District to Mississippi to trafficking methamphetamine. Farrar was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Glen H. Davidson on Monday to over 11 years in prison for the charge. He was further sentenced to four years supervised release following his release from prison. 

William Lyon, of Columbus, Mississippi, also pled guilty in the drug trafficking scheme. Lyons was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Glen H. Davidson on Monday to five years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine. He was further sentenced to four years supervised release following his release from prison. 

“The sentences imposed by Judge Davidson should provide notice to drug dealers that there are consequences to selfishly peddling poison within their communities,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner.  “We are proud of the partnership with DEA, ATF, and our invaluable state and local allies at the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Lowndes County SO that has allowed us to remove illegal narcotics, and those who sell them, from our midst.” 

“Methamphetamine tears lives apart. This sentencing, a result of dedicated work by our special agents and law enforcement partners, ensures these traffickers are held accountable for the damage they inflicted on Mississippi,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw. 

“This sentencing is the result of outstanding work and coordination by our local, state and federal partners,” said Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. “I commend the efforts of all the agencies involved for their dedication to ensuring justice is served and for their continued commitment to keeping our communities safe.” 

“The ATF is working closely with local and state police agencies to combat the scourge of deadly illegal drugs in our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed yesterday sends a message that we will continue to focus efforts on repeat offenders so we can remove more violent criminals from our streets and keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for ATF.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. 

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

This investigation and resulting case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (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.

This case is also a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.