A Meridian resident has pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The plea was entered by Jimmy Hodges, 40, on September 2. According to information presented in court, members of the East Mississippi Drug Task Force identified Hodges as a narcotics distributor in Lauderdale County.
Law enforcement officers reported that Hodges sold methamphetamine on several occasions within the district. During a search of his residence, authorities found that the home was equipped with an internal barricade, surveillance system, and a delivery door used for drug sales. Officers also seized quantities of methamphetamine and other drugs at the location.
Hodges is scheduled for sentencing on January 5, 2026. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson.
The investigation is being conducted by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with assistance from the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office and the East Mississippi Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brett Grantham is prosecuting the case.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).”
