A 74-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine in Delta County.
Eighth Judicial District Attorney Will Ramsay announced that Perry William Harvey Jr. received the life sentence Monday following a punishment hearing before District Judge Eddie Northcutt.
In April of 2025, a confidential informant made multiple purchases of methamphetamine from Harvey.
Based on these transactions, law enforcement was able to obtain a search warrant to enter his residence which revealed a significant amount of methamphetamine and multiple products showing Harvey was actively distributing the drug.
Firearms, cash and jewelry were also located with the methamphetamine.
Harvey pled guilty to Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine in an amount of 4 grams or more but less than 200 grams.
He also admitted his guilt in a number of other charges for which he was arrested.
“Perry Harvey has been fueling the drug trade and criminal element in Delta County for a very long time. In recent years, although local law enforcement was aware of his criminal activity, he successfully eluded capture. That ended with this investigation and prosecution,” said Ramsey.
There was no agreement as to the sentence he would receive, and the case was set for a punishment hearing before Judge Northcutt on Oct. 19.
Under the rules of procedure, the 74-year-old Harvey was staring at a range of possible outcomes including probation or, conversely, a prison sentence up to “life.”
During the hearing, the Judge considered the totality of the State’s evidence which included the extensive criminal history that Harvey had amassed over multiple decades.
Harvey’s attorney argued for the Judge to take the defendant’s age and health into consideration and consider probation as an appropriate sentence.
District Attorney Ramsay argued that Harvey had been breathing life into the criminal element and drug trade of Delta County for many years and had done all he could to earn a life sentence.
After considering all the arguments and evidence, the Judge sentenced Harvey to life in prison.
“I want to thank the Delta County Sheriff’s Office for their unwavering dedication to apprehending Mr. Harvey and finally holding him accountable for his actions. I also appreciate Judge Northcutt’s meticulous review of the evidence resulting in his strong verdict. My hope is that this sends a message to the local disciples of Mr. Harvey that no one is beyond the reach of the law. Mr. Harvey has spent his adult life committing crimes. Now, he has landed exactly where his choices have led him: in prison. I hope the peaceful and law-abiding citizens of Delta County sleep better at night knowing that this menace has been removed,” said Ramsey.
