A Lauderdale County man is facing nine years in federal prison for drug trafficking.
U.S. Attorney for West Tennessee Michael Dunavant says 24-year-old James Deshawn Whitelow, of Ripley, was sentenced last week to 108 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
According to information presented in court, on January 31, 2019, Whitelow, who had a warrant for his arrest for attempted murder, was located at a residence in Ripley.
Officers recovered two handguns, a stolen Walther PPS and a Glock 23 with a large capacity magazine. 252 grams of marijuana packaged for resale were found in the toilet tank of the common bathroom. A safe was found in a bedroom with a 50 round drum magazine inside.
The ATF, Ripley Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case.