Two convictions have come from the largest fentanyl bust in Southaven’s history.
The DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office announced that Richard Vaught and Michael Walker pleaded guilty Monday to their roles in trafficking thousands of doses of the deadly drug.
The bust came in 2022 at the Homewood Suites off Airways Boulevard when the Southaven Police Department conducted an operation that resulted in 4,387 fentanyl pills being seized. The pills had been pressed to resemble oxycodone, complete with “M 30” imprints, said the DA’s office.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, two milligrams of fentanyl is enough to kill someone. The amount seized in the case would have been enough to kill about 4,550 people – or 2.3% of DeSoto County’s entire population.
“Fentanyl has been designated as a weapon of mass destruction for a reason. Taking this amount of narcotics off the street has undoubtedly saved lives and helped dismantle a dangerous network of drug trafficking,” said Assistant District Attorney Gordon Shaw, who prosecuted the case.
Shaw added that the DA’s office will continue to “relentlessly prosecute” anyone trafficking drugs and commended Southaven PD for their investigation and subsequent arrests of Walker and Vaught.
“Our county is safer today because of the tireless dedication and exceptional police work of the Southaven Police Department, whose officers work day in and day out to protect Southaven families,” he said.
Both Vaught and Walker pleaded guilty to trafficking charges. Vaught was sentenced to 15 years of prison time, followed by 10 years of supervised release, while Walker will be sentenced at a later date.
