Lumberton man sentenced in federal court on drug charge

For at least the past dozen years, the Narcotics Unit of the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office had kept an eye on and an ear out for suspected drug activity at a 400-acre compound just west of Lumberton city limits.

That patience was rewarded in November when agents and deputies made what was believed to be the largest methamphetamine seizure in Lamar County history.

And Tuesday morning, the man said to be at the center of the scene was told that he very well could be spending his remaining days in federal prison.

Warren Lewis, 70, was sentenced to nearly 17 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Keith Starrett during a half-hour hearing at the William M. Colmer Federal Building in Hattiesburg.

Sporting a dark blue jumpsuit with “Pearl River County Jail” on the back, Lewis was wheeled into the second-floor courtroom connected to an oxygen bottle, a result of cancer surgery two weeks ago that took part of a lung.

Defense lawyer Joe Hollomon said it was the latest in a long list of health issues — diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension, bypass heart surgery — that also included addiction to the drug that led him to the courtroom Tuesday.

“Mr. Lewis has admitted to be an addict, that he got hooked on the stuff when he was driving a cattle truck out west,” Hollomon told Starrett.

Moments later, Starrett sentenced Lewis to 200 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Lewis also was fined $289,480, which Starrett said would cover the cost of the first 10 years of Lewis’ incarceration.

“The significant drug dealing this man was apparently doing and visiting this problem on hundreds of others is a very serious offense,” Starrett said. “That’s the basis for the court’s sentence.”

Lewis, who owned more than 400 acres off Little Black Creek Road, was among a half dozen people arrested in November following a long-term investigation by the LCSO’s Narcotics Unit.

An initial search of three residences on the property resulted in Lewis’ arrest on an initial charge of possession of a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm.

Five days later, deputies returned with additional warrants, and during the search, found a 5½-pound brick of methamphetamine sealed in an ammunition can that was hidden in a brush pile behind Lewis’ residence.

The brick was estimated to have a street value of about $250,000.

As a result of the various searches, deputies and investigators also confiscated about 50 firearms, a dozen vehicles including two bulldozers and about $100,000 in cash.

Sheriff Danny Rigel said prosecution moved to federal court because crimes related to the case were committed in more than one state.

Lewis had pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute earlier this year.

Rigel said it was the largest methamphetamine bust in Lamar County history.

“We’re well-pleased today because there was a lot of hard work that went into this by a lot of deputies over a lot of long years,” Rigel said after the sentencing. “I’d just like to say kudos to all the deputies involved.”