A Mississippi Gulf Coast man will spend more than three decades in prison for trafficking methamphetamine.
District Attorney W. Crosby Parker announced on Tuesday that Regio Darrell Lavant, 37, will spend the lengthy sentence behind bars after being found guilty by a jury on March 1.
Law enforcement began investigating Lavant in Pass Christian on October 27, 2019, when a Harrison County deputy conducted a traffic stop for careless driving on Interstate 10 near Exit 20. Upon approaching the vehicle, of which Lavant was a passenger, the deputy smelled the odor of marijuana and conducted a probable cause search.
Lavant was arrested after the deputy located nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine in Lavant’s backpack. Witness testimony at trial revealed that Lavant had traveled to Houston, Texas, and met with an individual to pick up the drugs.
“I certainly know from being in this courtroom that meth destroys families, friendships, communities, and economies. It contributes to homelessness and neglected children in our communities. I can’t count how many times I have heard a defendant tell me that their addiction to meth or some other drug, but mostly meth, contributed to their decision to commit other crimes. Methamphetamine undoubtedly destroys lives,” Judge Randi P. Mueller said during the sentencing hearing.
Lavant will serve the 35-year sentence in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections without the possibility of early release or parole.
Assistant District Attorney Jasmine Magee prosecuted this case along with Assistant District Attorney Katherine Gargiulo.
