Bay St. Louis man sentenced to nearly five years in prison for traveling interstate in drug trafficking scheme

Gulfport, MS – A Bay St. Louis man has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.

Kolby Zu Sims, 21, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.

According to court documents, on August 29, 2023, the Hancock County Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration responded to a written complaint alleging drug dealing at the Motel 6 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Officers conducted surveillance of the motel and identified suspicious parties and rooms. Officers observed a red Toyota Camry arrive at the hotel to pick up two of the individuals suspected of selling drugs. Agents followed the vehicle across state lines and observed the vehicle's occupants participating in what appeared to be a drug transaction in Louisiana. After the transaction, officers followed the Camry to Mississippi and conducted a traffic stop. Kolby Sims was identified as one of the occupants of the vehicle who contributed funds to purchase approximately 1,000 pills containing fentanyl to bring back from Louisiana for sale in Mississippi.

Sims pleaded guilty on March 6, 2024, to interstate travel in connection with drug trafficking.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. The DEA reports that two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal and that one kilogram of fentanyl can potentially kill 500,000 people. To learn more about fentanyl, visit

United States Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hancock County Sheriff's Office.

Assistant United States Attorney Erica Rose prosecuted the case.