A Mississippi man pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Joseph Henry, 45, of Bay St. Louis, pleaded guilty on December 15, 2022, in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.

According to court records, On December 2, 2021, Hancock County Sheriff’s Deputies served an outstanding warrant on Joseph Henry at his residence in Bay St Louis. While serving the warrant,  deputies observed two digital scales in plain view along with a strong odor of marijuana inside the residence. During a subsequent search of the residence, narcotics agents found over one pound of marijuana, 848 dosage units of MDMA, and 312 dosage units of counterfeit Oxycodone which later was tested at the lab and found to be 41.77 grams of Fentanyl.

Henry will be sentenced on March 16, 2023.  He faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5M fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.