Southern District of Mississippi

Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man pled guilty to unlawful use of a communication facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Colonel Steven Maxwell, Director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.

According to court documents, Venson K. Mix, 40, used a cellular phone to facilitate a felony drug trafficking crime, specifically possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.  A cellular phone meets the legal definition of a communication facility under federal law.    

Mix is scheduled to be sentenced on April 19th, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham is prosecuting the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Gulfport, Miss. – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today to 235 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and attempt to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Vernon “Jeb” Bison of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.

According to court documents, Darrell Young, 47, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was found guilty by a jury following a seven- day trial in July 2021, on two counts of conspiracy and attempted drug trafficking. The trial testimony established that Young conspired with five others in the Dominican Republic, Philadelphia PA and New York, NY to purchase 17 kilos of cocaine in Gulfport.  The drugs were to be taken back to New York and Philadelphia in a hidden compartment of a car that had been shipped from Philadelphia by Young.  Three defendants were apprehended in downtown Gulfport during the operation.  Young and defendant Anthony Abreu went to trial and were both found guilty.  The third defendant entered a guilty plea prior to trial. 

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Annette Williams and Jonathan Buckner prosecuted the case.

Gulfport, Miss. – An Arkansas man pleaded guilty to the federal felony offense of being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition. 

Victor Cody Rosillo, 26, was found guilty and convicted of the offense by U.S. District Court Judge Taylor B. McNeel.  Rosillo is scheduled to be sentenced on April 6, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

According to court documents, on October 6, 2020, Rosillo, who had been traveling in Mississippi, committed a drive-by shooting from a nearby street onto Keesler Air Force Base near the Military Hospital Emergency Room.  While no firearm was recovered, two shell casings and a fired bullet were recovered from the scene by Biloxi Police and Keesler Security Forces.  The recovered projectile was analyzed by a forensic examiner and was determined to be a 9mm bullet consistent with the 9mm shell casings recovered.  The forensic examiner also noted that the 9mm projectile would have been fired from a 9mm HiPoint firearm, which investigators learned was the same type of firearm possessed by Rosillo during the Keesler shooting incident.

Rosillo was serving a term of state felony probation in Arkansas at the time of the shooting in Mississippi.   

U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the FBI in Mississippi, and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the ATF in New Orleans, made the announcement.  U.S. Attorney LaMarca praised the investigation and coordination of the FBI, the ATF, Keesler Security Forces and the Biloxi Police Department. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is prosecuting the case as part of the federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program.  The centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s crime reduction efforts, PSN is an evidence-based program proven effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together and develop comprehensive solutions. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Gulfport, Miss. – Two Mexican nationals pleaded guilty to unlawful transportation of an alien within the United States (aiding and abetting), announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca, Jason E. Schneider, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, and Vernon Bison, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans

According to court documents, Ricardo Ortega-Garcia, 43, and Rigoberto Montoya-Landaverde, 27, both of Mexico, were arrested on July 15, 2021, on Interstate 10 in Harrison County.  Following a U.S. Border Patrol investigation, a Border Patrol Agent conducted a vehicle stop and identified the driver as Rigoberto Montoya-Landaverde.  Montoya-Landaverde did not have a valid driver’s license, but he is a Legal Permanent Resident of the U.S. who had been living in Texas.  Ortega-Garci, the registered owner of the vehicle, was the front-seat passenger and was determined to be illegally present in the U.S.  In addition to Ortega-Garcia and Montoya-Landaverde, there were four other adult passengers in the vehicle, all of whom were illegally present in the United States.

During the on-site investigation, two of the passengers fled on foot.  While one of the fleeing passengers was apprehended by the Border Patrol, the other escaped and is still at large.  Two of the passengers (both of whom had felony criminal histories) were each separately prosecuted for unlawful return of an alien removed after conviction of a felony, and both were convicted.  

Ortega-Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on April 6, 2022, and Montoya-Landaverde is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, 2022.  Each man faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  After completing any sentence of incarceration, they are both subject to Department of Homeland Security proceedings to remove them from the United States.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca praised the investigative efforts and coordination of the Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.

Jackson, Miss.- A Dallas, Texas man was sentenced yesterday to 190 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Vernon “Jeb” Bison, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.

According to court documents, from November 2014 through March of 2018, Jerome Miller, Jr., 42, conspired with others to distribute kilogram quantities of methamphetamine from Texas into central Mississippi. This case is the result of an extensive investigation dubbed “Operation Highlife,” which targeted illegal methamphetamine distribute in central Mississippi.

Miller pled guilty on June 4, 2021 to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

This Operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.      

The case is part of a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, with assistance from Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Philadelphia Police Department, Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department, Neshoba County District Attorney’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Flowood Police Department, Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, Carthage Police Department, Union Police Department, Louisville Police Department, and Mississippi Highway Patrol.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Erin Chalk.

Jackson, Miss. – A member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians pleaded guilty to the murder of a tribal member on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

According to court documents, Vandel Jim, 53, of the Conehatta Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation, stabbed the victim with a knife which resulted in his death.

A federal grand jury in January of 2017, indicted Jim, on the charge of murder in the second degree. Jim pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 21, 2022. Jim faces a maximum possible penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney LaMarca commended the work of the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation who investigated the case.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Payne.

Gulfport, Miss. – A Gulfport man was sentenced to a total of 157 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

According to court documents and proceedings, on March 16, 2021, Joshua Taylor, 23, sold methamphetamine to an individual.  Law enforcement officers located Taylor and initiated a traffic stop. During the stop, officers found heroin, methamphetamine, MDMA-Ecstasy, and, in the center console of the vehicle, a loaded Glock 19, 9mm handgun, with 16 rounds of ammunition.

Taylor was indicted on April 14, 2021, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He pled guilty on August 12, 2021.

The DEA and Harrison County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Gulfport, Miss.  – A Biloxi man pled guilty to providing false statements in connection with the delivery of payments for health care benefits of Medicare beneficiaries, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Tamala Miles, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General.

According to court documents, Douglas Christopher Gorman, 41, conspired with others between January 2016 and March 2019, to provide fraudulent statements to Medicare for reimbursements of claims for patient treatment and prescriptions.  Gorman held himself out as a licensed physician and treated patients, ordered diagnostic testing, ordered laboratory work, and prescribed medications while employed at Coast Neurology in Biloxi, Mississippi.  Gorman was not licensed to practice medicine in Mississippi or any other state in the United States.  Gorman, through his co-conspirators, submitted documents seeking reimbursement for the provided services under another co-conspirator’s Medicare identification number.  Medicare reimbursed for the services and prescriptions believing the services were provided by a licensed physician.

Gorman is scheduled to be sentenced on April 13, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and HHS OIG are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk is prosecuting the case.

Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

According to court records, Cedric Kyle, 48, sold suspected heroin to an individual on May 7, 2020. The drugs were analyzed by the Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory and confirmed to be 56.8 grams of fentanyl.

Kyle pled guilty on July 14, 2021, to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Jackson Police Department. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.

Jackson, Miss. – A Biloxi man pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm during the commission of a robbery that killed three people, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.  

According to court documents, Joshua Michael Garcia, 42, and co-defendant Jamison Layne Townsend went to Bill’s Coin & Jewelry in Hinds County on December 17, 2016, to rob the business using a firearm. During the robbery, Garcia shot and killed three employees of the business.

Garcia pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm that resulted in the murder of three persons during the commission of a robbery.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. in Jackson. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department with assistance from Geary County, Kansas Sheriff’s Department, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Mississippi State Crime Laboratory, the United States Marshal’s Service, the Gulfport Police Department, and the Biloxi Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.

Gulfport, Miss. - A Mexican national pleaded guilty to unlawful return of an alien deported or removed after conviction for a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Jason E. Schneider, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, and Vernon Bison, Acting Special Agent in Charge of  Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Orleans.

According to court documents, Francisco Alvarado-Zacarias, 49, of Mexico, was arrested on October 12, 2021, on Interstate 10 in Jackson County.  The U.S. Border Patrol conducted a vehicle stop on a white Ford panel van with a Texas license plate based on a Border Patrol “Be On the Lookout” (BOLO) Alert.”  Three passengers fled the van on foot, including Alvarado-Zacarias.  He was apprehended after a short chase.

Records checks revealed that Francisco Alvarado-Zacarias was a citizen of Mexico who was previously ordered removed from the U.S. on multiple occasions including in 1992, 2006, 2007, and 2020.  Agents also confirmed through official records that Alvarado-Zacarias had been convicted in Wyoming for the felony offense of conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine. After his release from prison, Alvarado-Zacarias had been removed from the United States.

Alvarado-Zacarias is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.  He faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.   After completing any sentence of incarceration, he also could face Homeland Security proceedings to remove him from the United States.  A U.S. District Judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.

Gulfport, Miss. – A Mexican national pleaded guilty to unlawful return of an alien after deportation, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Jason E. Schneider, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.

According to court documents, Filemon Perez-Julian, 49, was arrested on October 4, 2021, on Interstate 10 in Harrison County, following a vehicle stop by a U.S. Border Patrol agent.  Perez-Julian was a passenger in the vehicle and was identified as being illegally present in the United States. Perez-Julian was transported to the Gulfport Border Patrol Station, where his identity was positively confirmed.  Official records revealed that Perez-Julian had been arrested on several occasions by federal officials and had been given multiple voluntary departures as well as being formally ordered deported by a U.S. Immigration Judge in 2009.  He was removed from the United States and, later in 2009, he unlawfully returned.  Record checks also revealed that after unlawfully returning to the U.S., his prior deportation or removal was reinstated, and he was physically removed again in June 2009. 

Perez is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.  He faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  After completing any sentence of incarceration, he also is subject to Department of Homeland Security proceedings to remove him from the United States.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.

Gulfport, Miss.  – A Honduran national pleaded guilty to unlawful return by an alien removed after conviction for a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Vernon Bison of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.

According to court documents, Wilmer Josue Pavon-Hercules, 40, was arrested on September 12, 2021, following a probable cause traffic stop by a Picayune Police officer on Interstate 59 in Pearl River County.  Pavon-Hercules, the driver of the vehicle, did not have a driver’s license, and provided only a Honduran identification card. The officer was assisted on-site by a deputy of the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department.  While officials were attempting to arrest Pavon-Hercules for careless driving and driving under the influence (DUI), he attempted to flee law enforcement and then bit the police officer while being handcuffed.  Pavon-Hercules was taken into custody and transported to Pearl River County Jail.  Later, he escaped from the Pearl River County Jail and was recaptured by deputies. 

Picayune officials contacted Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) regarding the immigration status of Pavon-Hercules.  HSI determined through electronic database queries that Pavon-Hercules was a citizen of Honduras who was previously deported from the United States to Honduras. Immigration Records revealed that Pavon-Hercules was first encountered in the United States in 2012 and ordered deported by an Immigration Judge.  Pursuant to a lawful removal order against him, Pavon-Hercules was physically removed from the U.S. on August 23, 2012.  Thereafter, Pavon-Hercules was again encountered in the United States.  Having unlawfully returned to the U.S. after deportation or removal, Pavon-Hercules was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana in 2017, for reentry by alien following removal.  Later in 2017, Pavon-Hercules again was physically removed from the United States to his home nation of Honduras.

Pavon-Hercules also has been known by the following name variations and aliases:  Wimer Josue Pavon-Hercules, Wimer Josue Pavon Hercules, Wimer J. Pavon Hercules, Wimer Josue Hercules, Wilmer J. Pavon and Wilmer Pavon

Pavon-Hercules is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2022 at 9:30 a.m.  He faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  After completing any sentence of incarceration, he also is subject to Department of Homeland Security proceedings to remove him from the United States.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Picayune Police Department and the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.

Gulfport, Miss. – A Honduran national pleaded guilty to unlawful transportation of an illegal alien within the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Jason E. Schneider, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, and Vernon Bison, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Orleans.

According to court documents, Jose Andres Acensio-Lopez, 27, of Honduras, was arrested on September 12, 2021, on Interstate 10 in Harrison County following a vehicle stop by a U.S. Border Patrol agent.   Acensio-Lopez did not have a driver’s license and was found, along with his ten passengers, to be illegally present in the United States. The vehicle was overloaded by three persons over its design, with seat belts for only eight persons.  All vehicle occupants were transported to the Gulfport Border Patrol Station for processing.

At the Border Patrol Station, Special Agents from HSI joined the case.  Acensio-Lopez and his passengers were processed using Department of Homeland Security electronic database systems.  Acensio-Lopez’s identity was confirmed, and one of the passengers was identified as an illegal alien who had unlawfully returned to the U.S. after being deported or removed.  That passenger is being prosecuted separately for unlawful return by an alien after removal.  The other passengers were administratively processed, including an unaccompanied juvenile.

Acensio-Lopez faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  After completing any sentence of incarceration, he also is subject to Department of Homeland Security proceedings to remove him from the United States.  A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acensio-Lopez also has been known by the following name variations or aliases:  Acensio Rodriguez, Andres Acensio Lopez, Jose Javier Mata and Jose Lopez.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and HSI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.  

Hattiesburg, Miss. – A foreign national who had been living in Texas was sentenced to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine for being an illegal alien in possession of ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). 

According to court documents, Michael Rempel Klassen, 24, was driving a vehicle which was stopped on February 24, 2021, by a New Augusta Police officer for careless driving on U.S. Highway 98.  The officer requested a driver’s license and Klassen provided a driver’s license from the State of Chihuahua, Mexico.  Klassen said he did not have a driver’s license from the U.S., that his work visa had expired in 2017, and that he had not renewed the work visa. 

Officers  located two firearms, a silencer and numerous rounds of ammunition in Klassen’s vehicle.  The ATF was notified, and a Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent also joined the case regarding immigration issues.  Records showed that Klassen was born in Canada and confirmed that he was illegally present at the time of his 2021 arrest in Perry County. 

Upon his release from prison, Klassen may face U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement removal proceedings. If removed from the U.S. following his prison sentence, Klassen could face additional penalties if he were to unlawfully return, as well as further prosecution. 

Klassen pled guilty on September 10, 2021. 

The case was investigated by the ATF, HSI, the New Augusta Police Department, and the Perry County Sheriff’s Office.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris prosecuted the case as part of the federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program.  The centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s crime reduction efforts, PSN is an evidence-based program proven effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together and develop comprehensive solutions. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Gulfport, Miss. - A California man was sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

According to court documents, following an investigation that began with the July 24, 2019, seizure of 12 pounds of methamphetamine in Pascagoula, Sharard Collier, 44, of Inglewood, CA, was arrested on November 4, 2019, at a home in Pass Christian where law enforcement found 24 kilos of methamphetamine and close to a kilo of fentanyl.

Surveillance had followed Collier when he met with co-defendant Gerald Wayne Jones, of Mobile, AL, at a truck stop. A semi-truck owned by the two was searched and contained an additional 28 kilos of methamphetamine. Subsequent lab results showed the methamphetamine had purity levels of 99% and 100%. The investigation revealed Collier had been supplying narcotics traffickers on the Gulf Coast for years.

Collier was indicted on November 19, 2019, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He pled guilty on December 2, 2020.  Collier’s co-defendant Aaron Whavers, of Pass Christian, pled guilty and was sentenced to 292 months in prison.  Gerald Wayne Jones pled guilty and was sentenced to 120 months in prison.

“According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on a person’s body size, tolerance and past usage,” said U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca.  “This defendant possessed with the intent to distribute enough fentanyl to kill 500,000 people. We will never know the number of overdoses he caused when he combined this killer with methamphetamine. But, what we do know is he won’t do it again.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby stated: “The FBI Safe Streets Task Force and our partnering agencies forged this team to investigate criminal enterprises operating within our communities. The tireless efforts of law enforcement and the sentence handed down today reflect the determination with which we are combating and deterring the distribution of illegal, potentially deadly, narcotics. In this case, the severity of the sentence matches the seriousness of the crime.”

The FBI Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of members from the FBI, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (MBN), Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Pascagoula Police Department, Ocean Springs Police Department, Gautier Police Department, and Moss Point Police Department, investigated the case.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

This OCDETF case is the result of an extensive investigation targeting illegal narcotics distribution in Mississippi.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams prosecuted the case.

Jackson, Mississippi – A Pike County man was sentenced to 39 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

According to court documents, David Lane Roberts, 32, was found in possession of a firearm by  Pike County Sheriff’s Deputies when they sought to apprehend him on a Mississippi Department of Corrections warrant for probation violations.

Roberts pled guilty on September 7, 2021, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay B. Baldwin prosecuted the case.

Gulfport, Miss. -  A Mississippi physician and his family medical practice have agreed to pay $375,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations of P-Stim Device Fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca.

Kevin Cooper M.D., and his family medical practice, Cooper Family Medical Center, have agreed to pay $375,000 to resolve allegations that they knowingly and improperly billed Medicare for acupuncture devices in violation of the False Claims Act (“FCA”). 

The United States alleges that over a one-year period Dr. Cooper, through Cooper Family Medical Center, billed Medicare over $900,000 for non-reimbursable acupuncture devices that were not surgically implanted despite using billing codes indicating that they were.  As set forth in the parties’ settlement agreement, the United States alleges that from July 2018 to August 2019, Dr. Cooper routinely presented, or caused to be presented, false claims to Medicare using CPT Code L8680 (implantable neurostimulator, pulse generator) and/or CPT Code 64555 (implantation of peripheral nerve neurostimulator electrodes, accessed through the skin), and received $179,106.72 from Medicare to which he and his clinic were not entitled.  

P-Stim is an electro-acupuncture device that, pursuant to manufacturer’s instructions, is affixed behind a patient’s ear using an adhesive. Needles are inserted into the patient’s ear and affixed using another adhesive. Once activated, the device then provides intermittent stimulation by electrical pulses. It is a single-use, battery-powered device designed to be worn for approximately four days until its battery runs out, at which time the device is thrown away. Medicare does not reimburse for such acupuncture devices, nor did Dr. Cooper perform surgical implantation of these devices as he billed to Medicare.  Other brand names for this device include Stivax, NeuroStim, ANSiStim, E-Pulse, and NSS-2 Bridge.

“This office will hold accountable those providers who are improperly paid for non-reimbursable acupuncture under the guise of surgically implanted neurostimulators,” said U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca. 

The FCA claims settled are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.  This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.

Jackson, Miss. –  Three Union women appeared in federal court today on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

A federal grand jury in Jackson returned an indictment on September 8, 2021, charging Crystal Holliday, 33, Annie J. Blalock, 62, and Ashton Crouthers, 33, with carrying out a scheme using wire fraud and identity theft to access bank accounts of several patrons of the Pearl River Resort in Choctaw, Mississippi.

The defendants are charged in a nine count indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.  They made their initial court appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball.

The case is set for trial on January 24, 2022 in U.S. District Court in Jackson. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison on counts 1-5 of the indictment, and a possible additional consecutive mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison on counts 6-9.

The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case.  The Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department and the Union Police Department assisted with the arrests.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Natchez, Miss. – A McComb man was sentenced to 32 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

According to court documents, Martin Scarberry, 42, was picked up by law enforcement on April 20, 2021, in the woods in Lincoln County, following a multi-day search after he absconded from a state criminal sentencing hearing.  When Scarberry was placed under arrest, a firearm was found tucked into his waistband.  The firearm was determined to be stolen.

Scarberry was originally indicted for this offense on May 25, 2021.  He pled guilty on August 25, 2021.

The FBI, Pike County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and Mississippi Department of Corrections investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Jackson, Miss. –  A Jackson man pled guilty to discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca.

According to court documents, Marco Darby, 26, was indicted for discharging a firearm during the assault and robbery of a United States Postal Service mail carrier in Jackson on June 2, 2021.

Darby is scheduled to be sentenced March 8, 2022, and faces a sentence of not less than ten years to life in prison.  A federal district judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn Murray prosecuted the case.

Jackson, Miss. – A Columbus, man was sentenced to 41 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, and Special Agent in Charge Kurt H. Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

According to court documents, Greggory LaShawn Gavin, 44, was found in possession of a firearm by United States Marshals on November 9, 2020, while Gavin was being served with an arrest warrant for an unrelated criminal charge.  Gavin had a .38 caliber pistol in his pocket.  Gavin has four prior felony convictions.  As a convicted felon, it is contrary to federal law for Gavin to possess any firearm.

The United States Marshals Service and the ATF investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Hattiesburg, Miss.  – A Wiggins man pled guilty to transporting visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

According to court documents, Charles Ezekiel Spangler, 38, was identified by the FBI when they received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that he uploaded pictures of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct via the internet to his Tumblr account in June of  2018.

Spangler is scheduled to be sentenced on March 8, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. in Hattiesburg, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case with the assistance of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Division.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

Jackson, Miss. - A Jackson man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

According to court documents, Javarius Jones, 20, was taken into custody on January 24, 2020, during the execution of a search warrant by law enforcement officers from the FBI, Jackson Police Department, and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.  Several hundred grams of marijuana, multiple firearms, ammunition, and cash were seized from the residence. 

Jones pled guilty on August 12, 2021, to possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.

The FBI, the Jackson Police Department, and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Gulfport, Miss. – A Pass Christian man was sentenced to serve 110 months in federal prison and pay a $10,000 fine for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

According to court documents, on November 10, 2020, Mason Charles Brown, 33, knowingly possessed a firearm as a convicted felon.  Brown had previous convictions for burglary of a dwelling in Harrison County, felony false pretense in Hancock County, and felony bad check in Harrison County. 

Brown pled guilty on April 29, 2021 to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones prosecuted the case.

Gulfport, Miss.  – A Mexican national was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for unlawful reentry by a removed alien, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Jason E. Schneider, Chief Patrol Agent of the Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.

According to court documents, Daniel Alvarado-Alvarado, 29, was stopped by a Jackson County Deputy Sheriff on Interstate 10 in Jackson County for a traffic violation.   Alvarado-Alvarado had no driver’s license and a fraudulent Texas Identification Card.  Immigration records checks determined that Alvarado-Alvarado had been convicted twice for driving under the influence and also for illegal entry into the United States.  Alvarado-Alvarado had been removed from the United States on multiple occasions, and had not received official permission to reenter the U.S.

If Alvarado-Alvarado is removed again from the U.S. following his prison term, his supervised release period will be non-reporting while he remains outside of the United States.  However, if he were removed and unlawfully returned, Alvarado-Alvarado could face separate, consecutive penalties in addition to further prosecution.  Alvarado-Alvarado was convicted after pleading guilty on August 26, 2021, before Judge McNeel. 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris prosecuted the case.       

A Louisiana marketer was sentenced today to 30 months in prison in the Southern District of Mississippi for his role in a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud TRICARE and private insurance companies by paying kickbacks to distributors for the referral of medically unnecessary prescriptions. TRICARE is the health care program for uniformed service members, retirees and their families. The conduct resulted in more than $180 million in fraudulent billings, including more than $50 million paid by federal health care programs. 

According to court documents, Thomas “Tommy” Wilburn Shoemaker, 57, of Rayville,  participated in a scheme to defraud TRICARE and other health care benefit programs by acting as a marketer for a network of pharmacies owned and operated by co-conspirators Mitchell “Chad” Barrett and David Jason Rutland. Shoemaker worked with the pharmacies to use his TRICARE insurance to adjust prescription formulas to ensure the highest reimbursement without regard to efficacy, and he recruited doctors to procure prescriptions for high margin compounded medications. Shoemaker also obtained numerous fraudulent prescriptions using the personal information of military acquaintances.

Shoemaker pleaded guilty on Aug. 12 to conspiracy to defraud the United States and solicit, receive, offer, and pay illegal kickbacks. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Shoemaker was ordered to pay restitution and forfeit all assets traced to his ill-gotten gains.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca for the Southern District of Mississippi; Acting Assistant Director Jay Greenberg of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Special Agent in Charge Cyndy Bruce of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DoD OIG-DCIS) Southeast Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Jackson Field Office and DoD OIG-DCIS are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen and Alejandra Arias of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn Van Buskirk of the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case with assistance from Sara Porter and Dustin Davis from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

Gulfport, Miss.  – A Carriere, Mississippi man pled guilty to producing a video of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

According to court documents, Joshua Christopher Stockstill, 29, enticed a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct with his cellphone camera in Pearl River County in November of 2018.  The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) became aware of the video and other images. On July 14, 2021, with the assistance of NCMEC, the FBI in Gulfport identified then Picayune Police Sergeant Joshua Christopher Stockstill as the producer of the video. 

Stockstill is scheduled to be sentenced on February 24, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. in Gulfport, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, and a maximum $250,000 fine.  A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case with the assistance of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Division.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

Jackson, MS – A Minden woman was sentenced on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, to 24 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $244,060.09 in restitution for embezzling and converting government funds to her own use.

U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca of the Southern District of Mississippi, Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr. of the FBI New Orleans Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Dax Robertson of USDA OIG in New Orleans, and Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street made the announcement.

According to court documents, Teressia Garner, 60, was the director and registered agent of Safe Haven Development, Inc., a non-profit corporation. Safe Haven entered into an agreement with the Louisiana Department of Education’s Division of Nutrition Support to participate in several Child Nutrition Programs, including the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Nutrition Program. Funding for these programs is federal government money administered by the Food and Nutrition Service, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture. Safe Haven received federal funding and participated in these programs from 2011 through 2015 by providing meals to those children and adults that are enrolled in participating child care centers, adult day care centers, and day care homes.  

Garner used the Child Nutrition Program funds for personal use in the form of donations, gifts, retail store purchases, hotels, and restaurants. For example, on December 15, 2015, Teressia Garner planned a Christmas party for the employees of Safe Haven at the Wyndham Garden Shreveport. The defendant paid for the party, totaling $9,578.48 with program funds that had been deposited into the Safe Haven business account. The party included the expense of renting a large ballroom, catered food, and an open bar serving alcohol. The program funds used for the party were intended to be used for the Child Nutrition Programs and not for entertainment purposes.

“The greed shown by Garner for self-indulgence at the expense of those for whom this program was intended will not be tolerated in Louisiana, Mississippi, or elsewhere," said U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca, whose office handled the prosecution. "I thank our partners in Louisiana, both federal and state, for pursuing this investigation to its responsible source.” 

"Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that individuals like Ms. Teressia Garner who brazenly steal from children in need will be held accountable,” said FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr. “Ms. Garner, out of personal greed, committed fraud against the USDA Summer Foods Service Program which is designed to provide children in low-income areas nutritious meals during the summer when school is not in session. We thank our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Mississippi, Office of State Inspector General, State of Louisiana, and the Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Agriculture.”

USDA OIG Special Agent in Charge Dax Roberson stated: “I want to thank the US Attorney’s office, OIG special agents, and our investigative partners for their hard work on this investigation.  When the integrity of nutrition programs for needy children is violated by criminal conduct, the Office of Inspector General will pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law.”

Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street commented: “The sentencing of Ms. Garner brings a just conclusion to a sad episode of greed and callous disregard for the welfare of children.  We are committed to working as many of these criminal cases as necessary to make sure the message gets through -- we cannot and will never tolerate it.” Street added, “Continued kudos to Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Chalk and Meghan McCalla, the FBI and the USDA OIG.” 

Garner pleaded guilty to Theft of Government Funds in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Shreveport Division on July 9, 2021.         

The case was prosecuted by Southern District of Mississippi Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Chalk and Meghan McCalla, Acting Under the Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. §515, to appear in the Western District of Louisiana.

Gulfport, Miss.  – A Gulfport man was sentenced to serve three years’ probation for trafficking contraband cigarettes, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jack Staton of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.

According to court documents, Sadeq Saif Farea a/k/a Sadeq Saif Qaid Farea, 43, knowingly purchased for resale 42,000 cigarettes and 36,000 cigarillos, which bore no evidence of the payment of applicable State cigarette taxes in the State of Mississippi, constituting contraband cigarettes.

In addition to a three year term of probation, Farea was ordered to pay $3,849.06 in restitution to the State of Mississippi Department of Revenue and a $2,500 fine.

Farea was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 25, 2020, and pled guilty on September 9, 2021.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones prosecuted the case.

Gulfport, Miss. - A Mexican national pleaded guilty to the federal felony offense of unlawful reentry by an alien deported or removed after conviction of a felony.

U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca of the Southern District of Mississippi, and Jason E. Schneider, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, made the announcement. 

According to court documents, Joel Davila-Alvarado, 49, of Mexico, was arrested on July 15, 2021, on Interstate 10 eastbound in Harrison County.  Following a U.S. Border Patrol investigation, a Border Patrol Agent conducted a vehicle stop and identified one of the passengers as Joel Davila-Alvarado.  Davila-Alvarado was determined to be illegally present in the United States.  After being advised that he was under arrest, Davila-Alvarado fled from the scene on foot, but was rapidly apprehended by the Border Patrol and placed into federal custody.

An investigation revealed that in 2004, Davila-Alvarado was lawfully removed from the United States to his home nation of Mexico.  He unlawfully reentered the U.S. and, in 2009, he was convicted of the federal felony offense of reentering the U.S. after deportation without authorization and was sentenced to 8 months in prison.  Thereafter, he was physically removed again from the United States.  He again unlawfully reentered the U.S. in 2019 and was physically removed again from the U.S. to Mexico. 

Davila-Alvarado is scheduled to be sentenced on February 17, 2022.  He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  After completing any sentence of incarceration, Davila-Alvarado is subject to Homeland Security proceedings to remove him from the United States.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.

Gulfport, Miss. – A Jackson County man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possessing a sawed-off shotgun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

According to court documents, on November 18, 2020, Shawn Wayne Ethridge, 38, sold methamphetamine to an individual along with a short-barreled shotgun.    

The ATF and Jackson County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner prosecuted the case.

Jackson, Miss. – A Clinton man was sentenced yesterday to 110 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

United States Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

Derrick Lewis a/k/a “Rat Boy,” 42, was sentenced to serve 110 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. 

According to court records, Lewis sold methamphetamine totaling over 400 grams in the Jackson metro area on four different occasions.  The methamphetamine was later determined to be 99% pure by forensic analysis. 

Lewis was originally indicted on November 4, 2020, and he entered a guilty plea on July 22, 2021.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.  The case was prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Dave Fulcher.

Jackson, Miss. – A Canton man was sentenced to 75 months in federal prison for drug trafficking.

U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley with the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.

Alton Terrell Monroe, 44, of Canton, pled guilty on July 30, 2021, to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

According to court records, in 2017, DEA agents conducted an extensive investigation into suspected drug traffickers in central Mississippi.  The investigation led to the seizure of approximately $585,000 and 12 kilograms of cocaine.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson Police Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Internal Revenue Service.

This case was prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Assistant United States Attorneys Keesha Middleton and Chris Wansley prosecuted the case.

Jackson, Miss. – U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca announced today that the City of Jackson Police Department (JPD) received an award totaling $504,310 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program.

Nationally, the COPS Hiring Program (CHP) awarded $139 million in new funding to 183 police departments across the nation, including $504,310 to JPD. The funding to JPD is to be used for the hiring of additional officers to fight violent crime in the City of Jackson.

“We are committed to providing police departments with the resources needed to help ensure community safety and build community trust,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The grants we are announcing today will enable law enforcement agencies across the country to hire more than 1,000 additional officers to support vitally important community oriented policing programs.”

“This award will help the City of Jackson and it’s police department meet the need for additional police officers,” said U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca. “The fight against violent crime in the City does not end here. It is the beginning.”

CHP is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing. CHP provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire additional career law enforcement officers, thereby increasing their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Of the 183 agencies awarded grants today, approximately half will use the funding to focus on building legitimacy and trust between law enforcement and communities; 41 agencies will seek to address high rates of gun violence; 21 will focus on other areas of violence; and 19 will focus CHP resources on combating hate and domestic extremism or supporting police-based responses to persons in crisis. The complete list of awards can be found here.  

Since its creation in 1994, COPS has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 135,000 officers. CHP, COPS’ flagship program, continues to be in demand today: In FY21, COPS received 590 applications requesting nearly 3,000 law enforcement positions. For FY22, President Biden has requested $537 million for CHP, an increase of $300 million.

To learn more about CHP, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/chp-award. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/.  

The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served.

Jackson, Miss.- A Philadelphia man was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Jack P. Staton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.

According to court documents, in 2017, Chaddis Demond McAfee, 39, sold methamphetamine to individuals and stored methamphetamine and other narcotics inside his residence. McAfee also possessed a firearm in support of his drug trafficking.  This case is the result of an extensive investigation dubbed “Operation Highlife,” which targeted illegal methamphetamine distribute in central Mississippi.

This Operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The case is part of a joint investigation by the United States Immigration, Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, with assistance from US Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Philadelphia Police Department, Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department, Neshoba County District Attorney’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Flowood Police Department, Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, Carthage Police Department, Union Police Department, Louisville Police Department, and Mississippi Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.

Jackson, Miss. – A Canton man was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.   

Dwight Powell, 54, was charged following an extensive DEA investigation into drug traffickers in central Mississippi. The investigation resulted in the total seizure of approximately $585,000.00 in U.S. currency and 12 kilograms of cocaine. 

Powell was ensnared as part of the investigation and  pled guilty on July 30, 2021, to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

Powell was prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. 

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson Police Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Internal Revenue Service.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton and former Assistant United States Attorney Chris Wansley.

Gulfport, Miss. – A Moss Point man pleaded guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.   

According to information presented to the Court, on February 8, 2021, Bayliss Morris Jenkins, 43, was taken into custody by Moss Point Police officers after a traffic stop for operating a vehicle with a switched tag.  The defendant possessed two handguns in his vehicle.

Jenkins had prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, aggravated assault, and a felon in possession of a firearm.

Jenkins was indicted on June 15, 2021 for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Jenkins is scheduled to be sentenced on February 15, 2022. He faces a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment. However, if Jenkins qualifies as an armed career criminal, he will face a minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life.  A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Moss Point Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner is prosecuting the case.

Gulfport, Miss. – A Mexican national pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry by an alien removed after conviction of a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, and Jason E. Schneider, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.

According to court documents, Margarito Ruiz-Aguillon, 41, of Mexico, was arrested on July 15, 2021, on Interstate 10 in Harrison County.  A Border Patrol Agent conducted a vehicle stop and identified one of the passengers as Margarito Ruiz-Aguillon.  Ruiz-Aguillon was determined to be illegally present in the United States.  He was transported to the Gulfport Border Patrol Station, where his identity was positively confirmed.  Official record checks documented that Ruiz-Aguillon was removed from the U.S. in 2001.  He later reentered the U.S. and was convicted in Virginia for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.  He was removed from the U.S. again and he unlawfully reentered the U.S. again on multiple occasions.  He was removed back to Mexico in 2006, 2008, 2013, 2019 and 2020. 

Ruiz-Aguillon is scheduled to be sentenced on February 15, 2022.  He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  After completing any sentence of incarceration, he also is subject to Homeland Security proceedings to remove him from the United States.  

The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.

Jackson, Miss. – A Byram woman pleaded guilty to embezzling mail, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Scott Pierce, Inspector in Charge with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Southern Area Field Office.

According to court documents, Jeanetta N. Williams, 38, of Byram, was a Rural Carrier Assistant and delivered mail along a rural route in Hinds County.  After receiving complaints of mail going missing along Williams’ route, Postal Service agents investigated.  On July 11, 2019, agents found Williams in possession of opened mail she did not deliver.

Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on March 1, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.  A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bert Carraway is prosecuting the case.

Gulfport, Miss. – A Pass Christian man was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

According to court records, on November 10, 2020, Martin Stephen Brown, 48, possessed a loaded Pietro Beretta .380 caliber firearm.  Brown was previously convicted in Hancock County Circuit Court on multiple drug charges and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.  

Brown pled guilty on May 25, 2021 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones prosecuted the case.

Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Hattiesburg man was sentenced to 175 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

According to court records, on February 11, 2019, Amos Blanks, 40, distributed approximately 224 grams of methamphetamine to another drug dealer, who then sold the drugs to an individual.   Pursuant to forensic analysis by the DEA, the methamphetamine was determined to be 99% pure.

Blanks was originally indicted for this offense on January 15, 2020.  He pled guilty on July 23, 2020.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Jackson, Miss.  – David Luke Lane, 78, pled guilty to bank fraud yesterday before United States District Judge Henry T. Wingate, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca.  

According to court documents, David Luke Lane used his position as a property manager to defraud several Homeowners Associations (HOAs) and Community Bank of Mississippi.  Lane entered into contracts with the various HOAs to manage their properties and money in return for a fee.  Lane’s duties included keeping the funds of each HOA in designated bank accounts and using those funds for the exclusive and sole benefit of each HOA.  Instead, Lane defrauded numerous HOAs by making unauthorized withdrawals of funds from HOA bank accounts and by converting those funds to his own use instead of for the benefit of the HOAs. Lane falsely represented to the bank that he was authorized to make these withdrawals from the HOA accounts.  The total of funds taken from the HOAs by Lane exceeded two million dollars.

Lane is scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday, February 11, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service are investigating the case, with assistance from the District Attorney's Office for Madison and Rankin Counties.

Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson woman was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for concealing information about an armed robbery, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.  

According to court documents, Rasheena Romegan Carter, 33, concealed information concerning an armed robbery at a business that occurred on August 21, 2018.  Carter assisted in concealing the armed bandit by driving him from the robbery and concealing him from law enforcement. Instead of reporting the crime, and relaying the information she possessed, Carter concealed the information for months.  Under federal law it is a felony for any person to fail to notify authorities about the commission of a felony crime and to affirmatively act to conceal information they have about that crime.

The FBI and the Jackson Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew W. Eichner and Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Gulfport, Miss. - A Dominican man was sentenced to 293 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and attempt to distribute cocaine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jack P. Staton of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.

Antony Daniel Abreu, 33, a citizen of the Dominican Republic and resident of New York, was found guilty following a seven day trial by a jury in July, 2021, on two counts of conspiracy and attempted drug trafficking.

The trial testimony established that Abreu conspired with five others in the Dominican Republic, Philadelphia, PA, and New York, NY, to purchase 17 kilos of cocaine in Gulfport. The drugs were to be taken back to New York in a hidden compartment of a car that had been shipped from Philadelphia.  Three defendants were apprehended in downtown Gulfport during the operation. 

Abreu and defendant Darrell Young went to trial and were both found guilty.  The third defendant, Christopher Nguyen, entered a guilty plea prior to trial.  Young and Nguyen will be sentenced in January, 2022. 

Abreu was sentenced on Thursday, November 4, 2021 in Gulfport. In addition to his prison term of 293 months,  he was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and serve 5 years of supervised release after completing his term of imprisonment.        

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Annette Williams and Jonathan Buckner prosecuted the case.

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. – Acting United States Attorney Darren LaMarca announced today that Pharmaceutical Trade Services, Inc., which does business as Durbin USA, an importer, distributor, and exporter of pharmaceuticals in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, has agreed to pay the United States $175,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) by failing to maintain complete and accurate records of controlled substances, including thousands of doses of Schedule II-IV substances.

In addition to paying $175,000 to resolve the government’s allegations, Durbin USA has entered into a three-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which includes additional responsibilities regarding the handling of controlled substances.  The MOA imposes compliance obligations beyond those contained in the applicable laws and regulations.

Congress enacted the CSA to deter the illegal importation, manufacture, distribution, possession, and improper use of controlled substances, including prescription medications.  To help achieve this aim, the CSA subjects all registered handlers of controlled substances to strict requirements regarding the inventory control and recordkeeping of controlled substances.  These requirements ensure that DEA registrants account for controlled substances from the time that they are purchased until the time that they are delivered to other registrants, dispensed to patients, or discarded.  The CSA’s recordkeeping requirements play a vital role in ensuring the appropriate handling, accounting, and distribution of controlled substances. 

In response to the Department of Justice’s focus on combatting the opioid epidemic, the DEA has continued to conduct inspections and audits of DEA registrants, including pharmacies, narcotics treatment programs, medical providers, and distributors, throughout the Southern District of Mississippi.  Based on results from multiple DEA audits of Durbin USA’s Ocean Springs facility, the United States alleges that Durbin USA violated the CSA by negligently failing to keep accurate records and inventories associated with Schedule II-IV narcotics that the company imported, distributed, and exported between 2013 and 2020.

“This settlement demonstrates our office’s continued commitment to combating the opioid epidemic on all fronts,” said Acting U.S. Attorney LaMarca.  “Part of our strategy is making sure that registered opioid handlers keep accurate records of these highly addictive and potentially dangerous drugs.  All individuals and facilities, large or small, licensed to handle controlled substances are responsible for maintaining accurate records, and all will be held accountable for any failures.”

“Prescription drug abuse has risen to epidemic proportions, with over 70,000 opioid related overdose deaths in 2020,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley.  "DEA Registrants, which include all importers, exporters and distributors, have an obligation to ensure that controlled prescription drugs are being distributed for legitimate use and not being diverted for abuse.  Through enforcement and regulatory actions, education, and training, DEA is committed to keeping our communities safe from those who facilitate and enable the abuse of prescription drugs,” said Byerley.

Acting U.S. Attorney LaMarca commended the work of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for its work on this case.

The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination or admission of civil or criminal liability.

Jackson, Miss. – A Madison man pleaded guilty to embezzlement by a bank officer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

According to court documents, Thomas King Robb, Jr., 37, used his position as a loan officer at a bank to approve fraudulent loans, and used the proceeds from those loans for his own benefit.  Robb created false documents using his knowledge and experience as a loan officer and created fraudulent loans in the names of other people.  Robb then used the money from those loans to pay off previous loans and to keep his personal business afloat. 

Robb is scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday, February 8, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham is prosecuting the case.

Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Jefferson Davis County man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

According to court records, On September 23, 2020, Enoch Ben Buckley III, 36, was found in possession of multiple firearms during the execution of an arrest warrant in Hattiesburg.  Buckley has been previously convicted of multiple felonies, but was most recently convicted of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon in Jefferson Davis County Circuit Court in 2018, where he was sentenced to serve a term of ten years imprisonment.

Buckley was originally indicted for this offense on October 20, 2020.  He pled guilty on April 15, 2021.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Prentiss Police Department investigated the case. 

Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of the federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program.  The centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s crime reduction efforts, PSN is an evidence-based program proven effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together and develop comprehensive solutions. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Hattiesburg man pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

According to court records, on February 6, 2020, Julius Daniels, 34, was driving a vehicle which was stopped by a Hattiesburg Police officer.  Based on an odor of marijuana, the vehicle was searched and a firearm was found in the glove compartment.  Daniels had previously been convicted of sale of a controlled substance in Forrest County. 

Daniels was indicted for this offense on May 11, 2021.  He will be sentenced on February 15, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.  A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Hattiesburg Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner is prosecuting the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program.  The centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s crime reduction efforts, PSN is an evidence-based program proven effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together and develop comprehensive solutions. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Jackson, Miss.  – A Pelahatchie woman was arrested yesterday in a murder-for-hire plot, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi. 

Jessica Leeann Sledge, 39, of Pelahatchie, is charged in a federal criminal complaint with use of interstate commerce facility in the commission of murder-for-hire.  

The complaint alleges that between September 2021, and November 1, 2021, Sledge used facilities of interstate commerce with the intent to hire an assassin to murder an individual in Mississippi.  Unknown to Sledge, the “hitman” she hired via the internet to commit a murder was in fact an FBI Special Agent.  The intended victim was unharmed.

Sledge will make her initial appearance in federal court in Jackson this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. before United States Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball. If convicted, she faces up to ten years in federal prison.

This arrest resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Violent Crime Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Dave Fulcher.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation by a sworn affiant that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to due process, to include a fair trial, during which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.