Long Beach Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking

Robert French, 43, of Long Beach(Second Circuit Court District of Mississippi)

A Long Beach man has been sentenced to serve two decades in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking fentanyl.

Harrison County Circuit Court Judge Larry Bourgeois handed down the sentence to 43-year-old Robert French, ordering him to serve 20 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The full sentence totaled 40 years, but 20 were suspended. The first 10 years will be served without the possibility of parole or early release.

The case began on March 25, 2024, when Gulfport Police received information that French was selling fentanyl. The following day, a narcotics detective working undercover arranged to meet French at the Home Depot in Gulfport. According to prosecutors, French arrived at the location and showed the detective more than 50 grams of fentanyl hidden inside a paint can.

Assistant District Attorney Dustin Uselton, who prosecuted the case, said a search of French’s vehicle uncovered two additional bags of fentanyl concealed in a WD40 can and a Flat Fix can. In total, investigators seized over 80 grams of the drug.

During sentencing, Judge Bourgeois called the crime an “egregious felony” and said French had endangered “countless” lives by attempting to distribute what he described as “poison” in the community.

French was taken into custody to begin serving his sentence immediately.