A Gulfport man who orchestrated fentanyl trafficking from a federal prison in Beaumont, arranged drug shipments from Mexico and later attempted to intimidate witnesses was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 25 years, according to The Sun Herald of Biloxi, Mississippi.
Court records show that, following a three-day trial earlier this year, a federal jury in Gulfport convicted Marcus Agee of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Agee later pleaded guilty to an additional federal witness tampering charge.
According to federal prosecutors, Agee operated the drug-trafficking conspiracy from a federal prison in Beaumont using a burner phone to coordinate fentanyl shipments from traffickers in Mexico and elsewhere.
Prosecutors said Agee arranged the purchase and sale of drugs through messaging applications, text messages and video calls. Authorities said shipments were sent to a Gulfport stash house, where the fentanyl was hidden behind an air-conditioning vent. Two co-conspirators handled sales on his behalf.