A Bay St. Louis man has pled guilty to his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy stemming from a complaint called in about suspicious drug activity at a local hotel.
Kolby Zu Sims, 20, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Gulfport on Thursday. According to court documents, on August 29, 2023, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration followed up on a written complaint alleging drug trafficking at Motel 6 in the coastal city.
Agents surveilled the motel and narrowed down the suspected parties and rooms. They observed a red Toyota Camry arrive at the hotel to pick up two of the individuals suspected of selling drugs, followed the vehicle across state lines, and watched the occupants of the vehicle participate in what appeared to be a drug transaction in Louisiana.
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After the transaction, agents followed the Camry back into Mississippi and conducted a traffic stop. Sims was identified as one of the occupants of the vehicle who had contributed funds to buy approximately 1000 fentanyl-laced pills to bring back from Louisiana for sale in Mississippi.
Sims pleaded guilty to one count of interstate travel in aid of an unlawful activity. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 21 and faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison. He joins Santana Elzy, Christopher Fricke, Emma Stoute, and Dakari Stykes in facing charges in this case.
The case was investigated by the DEA and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.
