Man sentenced on drug possession charges
HARRISON COUNTY, Miss. (WXXV)- A Harrison County jury has convicted a Hattiesburg man on multiple drug and weapons charges, and he’ll now spend nearly 60 years behind bars.
Forty-nine-year-old Juan Martinez was found guilty of four counts of possession with intent to distribute and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
He’ll specifically spend 58 years in MDOC custody without the chance for parole.
The case stems from a 2022 arrest at the Lighthouse Pier parking lot in Biloxi where investigators say drugs and paraphernalia were in plain view inside Martinez’s vehicle.
A search uncovered meth, hydrocodone, marijuana, and other items in Martinez’s center console.
Martinez also admitted in court he intended to sell the drugs and knowingly had the gun despite being a convicted felon.
