Ocean Springs Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess With Intent to Distribute over 6,000 Grams of Methamphetamine

Gulfport, Miss. - An Ocean Springs man pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 6,208 grams of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Eric Donte Pittman, 51, traveled to California with a co-conspirator to pick up a package of methamphetamine to bring back to Jackson County, Mississippi. When returning to Mississippi on August 28, 2023, Pittman and his co-conspirator encountered a Rankin County Sheriff's Deputy during a traffic stop on Highway 49. The Deputy observed a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed two small bags of marijuana and a black garbage bag containing several packages of methamphetamine. The total amount of methamphetamine was 6,208 grams with 98 percent purity.

Pittman is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4, 2024, and faces up to twenty years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team, Rankin and Jackson County Sheriff's Departments, and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting the case.