Southern District of Mississippi

Gulfport, MS – A Pascagoula man pleaded guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, Kiiyas Lett, 32, was pulled over in a traffic stop on September 5, 2023, in Jackson County, Mississippi. Agents obtained verbal consent to search the vehicle. They located and seized a Ruger LCP .380 handgun, found between the driver’s seat and the center console.  Lett was previously convicted of a felony and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Lott will be sentenced on July 30, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi; and Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Pascagoula Police Department, and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.

Jackson, Miss. - A Tucker man pleaded guilty in federal court today to enticement of a minor.

According to court documents, Antonio Deron Wallace, 35, used Facebook Messenger to entice a minor to meet him for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. Court records show that the offense occurred in the Tucker Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation in 2019.

In 2021, Wallace was indicted by a federal grand jury for enticement of a minor. 

Wallace is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24, 2024, and faces not less than ten years and up to life in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Maher Dimachkie of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.

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

Gulfport, MS – A Bay St. Louis woman was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 pills containing fentanyl.

Emma Kate Stoute, 19, 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 followed up on a written complaint alleging drug trafficking at the Motel 6 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.  Agents surveilled the motel and narrowed down the suspected parties and rooms.  Agents 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 occupants of the vehicle participate in what appeared to be a drug transaction in Louisiana.  After the transaction, agents followed the Camry back into Mississippi and conducted a traffic stop.  Stoute was one of the occupants of the vehicle and was in possession of 50 pills containing fentanyl.  A subsequent search of Stoute’s cell phone confirmed that she was trafficking fentanyl pills. 

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 lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.  More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl.

On November 27, 2023, Stoute pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer 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 U.S. Attorney Erica Rose prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – Six former Mississippi law enforcement officers were sentenced this week for torturing and abusing two Black men in Rankin County, Mississippi. 

Senior District Judge Tom Lee sentenced the defendants to terms in prison ranging from 10 to 40 years.

• Christian Dedmon, 29, former Narcotics Investigator of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO), was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
• Brett McAlpin, 53, former RCSO Chief Investigator, was sentenced to 27.25 years in prison.
• Hunter Elward, 31, former RCSO Deputy, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
• Jeffrey Middleton, 46, former RCSO Lieutenant, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison.
• Daniel Opdyke, 28, former RCSO Deputy, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison.
• Joshua Hartfield, 32, former Narcotics Investigator for the Richland Police Department, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

“The depravity of the crimes committed by these defendants cannot be overstated, and they will now spend between 10 and 40 years in prison for their heinous attack on citizens they had sworn to protect,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These defendants kicked in the door of a home where two Black men were residing, handcuffed and arrested them without probable cause, called them racial slurs, and punched, kicked, tased, and assaulted them. After one of the defendants fired his gun in the mouth of one of the victims, breaking his jaw, the defendants gathered outside to come up with a cover story as the victim lay bleeding on the floor. Officers who violate constitutional rights will be held accountable by the Justice Department for their crimes that harm individual victims and betray the trust of entire communities. I am grateful to the Department’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, the FBI Jackson Field Office, and our state partners for their outstanding work bringing these defendants to justice.”

“It is hard to imagine a more atrocious set of civil rights violations than those carried out by the defendants in this case,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “But it is also hard to imagine more important work than investigating those crimes and seeking justice for the victims. As the result of the bureau’s color-of-law investigation, which we worked in collaboration with our federal and state partners, all six pleaded guilty last August and will serve lengthy sentences for their crimes.”

“By holding these officers accountable, we are sending a clear message that law enforcement abuse of Black people, or any American, will not be tolerated in our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “These six white law enforcement officers sought to dehumanize two innocent Black men through cruel, violent, and lawless abuse. The defendants didn’t count on the victims’ courage to come forward and tell the truth or the justice system to hold them accountable. The court imposed severe sentences reflecting the defendants’ savagery, including the longest federal sentence in recent years for a civil rights police misconduct case. Justice demands accountability, especially when the defendants’ actions not only scarred the victims physically and emotionally, but also harmed the entire community, stripping away their sense of security, corroding trust and respect for the police.”

“We expect our law enforcement officers to take seriously their oath to be our protectors, but these defendants instead chose to be predators on a hate-fueled power trip,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi. “Rather than serving Mississippi, the defendants treated it as a place where they could assault, intimidate, torture, and frame their victims at will. These violations of civil rights should serve as a reminder that we still have a lot of work to do in Mississippi and this nation to ensure that law enforcement officers are properly hired, trained, equipped, supervised, and held accountable for their actions.”

“We hold positions of trust and serve as stewards of authority for the community. Color of law violations are harmful to the victims, to the American people, and to the law enforcement community across the globe,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Maher Dimachkie of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “These six individuals violated their oaths and disgraced other law enforcement officers that carry their duties with pride and honor. We will continue to execute our duties to the highest level of ethical and moral values. We will continue to work with our community partners to rebuild and strengthen the partnership and trust in law enforcement. The FBI remains steadfast in aggressively investigating and bringing those who misuse their authority to justice.”

“The six officers who committed these heinous acts caused more than physical harm to these two individual victims; they severed the vital trust between law enforcement and the people they pledge to protect,” said Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “This abuse of power will not be tolerated. I am proud of this joint effort and shared commitment across agencies to pursue truth and justice for these victims. It is my hope and prayer that we can help these victims on their healing journey, and we can restore confidence in our criminal justice system.”

“The sentencing of the six former officers who violated their oath of office proves the effectiveness of collaboration between state and federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors,” said Commissioner Sean Tindell of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. “As we move forward, we should all work together creating new policies and oversights to help prevent these types of incidents in the future. Thank you to all parties involved for their diligent work in ensuring that justice was served for the victims.”

Last year, the six defendants pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging them with a total of 13 felony offenses, including civil rights conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice.

According to court documents and the plea hearings, the defendants admitted that on Jan. 24, 2023, Dedmon sent a group message to Middleton, Elward, and Opdyke, three members of the “Goon Squad,” orchestrating a “mission” to forcibly enter a home in Braxton, Rankin County, Mississippi, where two Black men, M.J. and E.P., were residing. “The Goon Squad” is a group of RCSO officers who were known for using excessive force and not reporting it. Dedmon warned the officers that there might be surveillance cameras at the house, and told them “no bad mugshots”, meaning that the officers should use excessive force, but they should make sure not to leave any marks that would be captured in a mugshot.

Upon arrival at the home, the defendants kicked in the door and entered the home without a warrant or any exigent circumstances. The defendants handcuffed and arrested the men without probable cause to believe they had committed any crime, called them racial slurs, and warned them to stay out of Rankin County. Dedmon fired his gun twice to intimidate the men. Further, the defendants punched and kicked the men; tased them 17 times; held them down and poured liquids on their faces, forcing them to involuntarily ingest these liquids; threw eggs at them and assaulted them with a dildo. McAlpin, the senior officer on the scene, failed to intervene to stop the torture or abuse and stole property while the incident occurred.

At the conclusion of the incident, Elward surreptitiously removed a bullet from the chamber of his gun, forced the gun into M.J.’s mouth, and pulled the trigger. The unloaded gun clicked but did not fire. Elward racked the slide, intending to dry-fire a second time. When Elward pulled the trigger, the gun discharged. The bullet lacerated M.J.’s tongue, broke his jaw, and exited out of his neck.

As M.J. was bleeding on the floor, the defendants did not provide medical aid, but instead gathered outside the home to devise a false cover story and took steps to corroborate it by planting a BB gun on M.J.; destroying surveillance video, a spent shell casing, and taser cartridges; submitting fraudulent drug evidence to the crime lab; filing false reports; charging M.J. with crimes he did not commit; making false statements to investigators; and pressuring witnesses to stick to the cover story.

For several of the defendants, the incident with M.J. and E.P. was not their first-time abusing Rankin County residents. During a separate incident on Dec. 4, 2022, Dedmon beat and tased a white man and fired a gun near his head to coerce a confession, while Elward and Opdyke failed to intervene. Dedmon then sexually assaulted the man. In connection with that incident, Dedmon, Elward, and Opdyke each also pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging them with three additional federal felony offenses, including deprivation of rights under color of law and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

The FBI Jackson Field Office investigated the federal case. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigated the state case.

Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Criminal Chief Erin O. Chalk and Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda R. Haynes for the Southern District of Mississippi; and Mississippi Deputy Attorney General Mary Helen Wall, who was deputized as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi for the federal matter, prosecuted the case.

Six former Mississippi law enforcement officers were sentenced this week for torturing and abusing two Black men in Rankin County, Mississippi. 

Senior District Judge Tom Lee sentenced the defendants to terms in prison ranging from 10 to 40 years.

• Christian Dedmon, 29, former Narcotics Investigator of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO), was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
• Brett McAlpin, 53, former RCSO Chief Investigator, was sentenced to 27.25 years in prison.
• Hunter Elward, 31, former RCSO Deputy, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
• Jeffrey Middleton, 46, former RCSO Lieutenant, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison.
• Daniel Opdyke, 28, former RCSO Deputy, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison.
• Joshua Hartfield, 32, former Narcotics Investigator for the Richland Police Department, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

“The depravity of the crimes committed by these defendants cannot be overstated, and they will now spend between 10 and 40 years in prison for their heinous attack on citizens they had sworn to protect,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These defendants kicked in the door of a home where two Black men were residing, handcuffed and arrested them without probable cause, called them racial slurs, and punched, kicked, tased, and assaulted them. After one of the defendants fired his gun in the mouth of one of the victims, breaking his jaw, the defendants gathered outside to come up with a cover story as the victim lay bleeding on the floor. Officers who violate constitutional rights will be held accountable by the Justice Department for their crimes that harm individual victims and betray the trust of entire communities. I am grateful to the Department’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, the FBI Jackson Field Office, and our state partners for their outstanding work bringing these defendants to justice.”

“It is hard to imagine a more atrocious set of civil rights violations than those carried out by the defendants in this case,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “But it is also hard to imagine more important work than investigating those crimes and seeking justice for the victims. As the result of the bureau’s color-of-law investigation, which we worked in collaboration with our federal and state partners, all six pleaded guilty last August and will serve lengthy sentences for their crimes.”

“By holding these officers accountable, we are sending a clear message that law enforcement abuse of Black people, or any American, will not be tolerated in our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “These six white law enforcement officers sought to dehumanize two innocent Black men through cruel, violent, and lawless abuse. The defendants didn’t count on the victims’ courage to come forward and tell the truth or the justice system to hold them accountable. The court imposed severe sentences reflecting the defendants’ savagery, including the longest federal sentence in recent years for a civil rights police misconduct case. Justice demands accountability, especially when the defendants’ actions not only scarred the victims physically and emotionally, but also harmed the entire community, stripping away their sense of security, corroding trust and respect for the police.”

“We expect our law enforcement officers to take seriously their oath to be our protectors, but these defendants instead chose to be predators on a hate-fueled power trip,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi. “Rather than serving Mississippi, the defendants treated it as a place where they could assault, intimidate, torture, and frame their victims at will. These violations of civil rights should serve as a reminder that we still have a lot of work to do in Mississippi and this nation to ensure that law enforcement officers are properly hired, trained, equipped, supervised, and held accountable for their actions.”

“We hold positions of trust and serve as stewards of authority for the community. Color of law violations are harmful to the victims, to the American people, and to the law enforcement community across the globe,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Maher Dimachkie of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “These six individuals violated their oaths and disgraced other law enforcement officers that carry their duties with pride and honor. We will continue to execute our duties to the highest level of ethical and moral values. We will continue to work with our community partners to rebuild and strengthen the partnership and trust in law enforcement. The FBI remains steadfast in aggressively investigating and bringing those who misuse their authority to justice.”

“The six officers who committed these heinous acts caused more than physical harm to these two individual victims; they severed the vital trust between law enforcement and the people they pledge to protect,” said Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “This abuse of power will not be tolerated. I am proud of this joint effort and shared commitment across agencies to pursue truth and justice for these victims. It is my hope and prayer that we can help these victims on their healing journey, and we can restore confidence in our criminal justice system.”

“The sentencing of the six former officers who violated their oath of office proves the effectiveness of collaboration between state and federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors,” said Commissioner Sean Tindell of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. “As we move forward, we should all work together creating new policies and oversights to help prevent these types of incidents in the future. Thank you to all parties involved for their diligent work in ensuring that justice was served for the victims.”

Last year, the six defendants pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging them with a total of 13 felony offenses, including civil rights conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice.

According to court documents and the plea hearings, the defendants admitted that on Jan. 24, 2023, Dedmon sent a group message to Middleton, Elward, and Opdyke, three members of the “Goon Squad,” orchestrating a “mission” to forcibly enter a home in Braxton, Rankin County, Mississippi, where two Black men, M.J. and E.P., were residing. “The Goon Squad” is a group of RCSO officers who were known for using excessive force and not reporting it. Dedmon warned the officers that there might be surveillance cameras at the house, and told them “no bad mugshots”, meaning that the officers should use excessive force, but they should make sure not to leave any marks that would be captured in a mugshot.

Upon arrival at the home, the defendants kicked in the door and entered the home without a warrant or any exigent circumstances. The defendants handcuffed and arrested the men without probable cause to believe they had committed any crime, called them racial slurs, and warned them to stay out of Rankin County. Dedmon fired his gun twice to intimidate the men. Further, the defendants punched and kicked the men; tased them 17 times; held them down and poured liquids on their faces, forcing them to involuntarily ingest these liquids; threw eggs at them and assaulted them with a dildo. McAlpin, the senior officer on the scene, failed to intervene to stop the torture or abuse and stole property while the incident occurred.

At the conclusion of the incident, Elward surreptitiously removed a bullet from the chamber of his gun, forced the gun into M.J.’s mouth, and pulled the trigger. The unloaded gun clicked but did not fire. Elward racked the slide, intending to dry-fire a second time. When Elward pulled the trigger, the gun discharged. The bullet lacerated M.J.’s tongue, broke his jaw, and exited out of his neck.

As M.J. was bleeding on the floor, the defendants did not provide medical aid, but instead gathered outside the home to devise a false cover story and took steps to corroborate it by planting a BB gun on M.J.; destroying surveillance video, a spent shell casing, and taser cartridges; submitting fraudulent drug evidence to the crime lab; filing false reports; charging M.J. with crimes he did not commit; making false statements to investigators; and pressuring witnesses to stick to the cover story.

For several of the defendants, the incident with M.J. and E.P. was not their first-time abusing Rankin County residents. During a separate incident on Dec. 4, 2022, Dedmon beat and tased a white man and fired a gun near his head to coerce a confession, while Elward and Opdyke failed to intervene. Dedmon then sexually assaulted the man. In connection with that incident, Dedmon, Elward, and Opdyke each also pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging them with three additional federal felony offenses, including deprivation of rights under color of law and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

The FBI Jackson Field Office investigated the federal case. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigated the state case.

Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Criminal Chief Erin O. Chalk and Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda R. Haynes for the Southern District of Mississippi; and Mississippi Deputy Attorney General Mary Helen Wall, who was deputized as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi for the federal matter, prosecuted the case.

Jackson, MS – A Jackson man pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, Cameron Antonious Lee, 27, was found in possession of a firearm by MBN Agents and Capitol Police Officers at a driver’s license checkpoint during a crime suppression operation in Jackson involving multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

Lee was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.  

Lee is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee, and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee, and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

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.

Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man pled guilty today to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, Marcus Allen Brown, 44, was found with a firearm after Jackson Police responded to a reported disturbance at an apartment complex. Brown has multiple previous felony convictions for burglaries of homes and businesses.

Brown will be sentenced on July 8, 2024. Because of Brown’s prior felony convictions, he may be subject to the Armed Career Criminal Act, in which case he will face a minimum of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by the ATF and the Jackson Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

WASHINGTON – A Mississippi man was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for conspiring to prepare and file false tax returns for clients in Jackson, Mississippi, and for preparing false returns.

According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Christopher Randell worked at Sunbelt Tax Services and conspired with others to claim inflated tax refunds for clients by reporting false education credits, itemized deductions and business profits or losses on their clients’ tax returns. Over the years, Randell and his co-conspirators prepared thousands of fraudulent returns, causing over $3.5 million in tax loss to the IRS. A jury convicted Randell and his co-conspirators in November 2023.

In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel P. Jordan III for the Southern District of Mississippi ordered Randell to serve three years of supervised release, and to pay restitution to the United States, in an amount to be determined later by the Court.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Patrick Elwell, Zachary Cobb and Mary Frances Richardson of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.

Gulfport, Miss. –   A Palmdale, California man was sentenced to 270 months in prison for attempting to possess with intent to distribute 441 grams of pure methamphetamine in Mississippi.

Keith Quintal McGill, 44, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. 

According to court records, in 2019, an investigation began into a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was shipping large amounts of methamphetamine through the United States Postal Service to the Southern District of Mississippi.  Keith McGill was identified as someone who had been sending pound quantities of methamphetamine to Mississippi.  On July 8, 2019, federal agents made arrangements to conduct a controlled purchase from McGill.  McGill sent 441 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine to a controlled post office box in Mississippi.

McGill was indicted by a federal grand jury and pled guilty on December 13, 2023, to attempting to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee, Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric P. DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations, and Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.  

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations. 

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.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.

Jackson, Miss. – A former police officer with the Pearl, Mississippi Police Department, pleaded guilty today to one count of acting under color of law to deprive a person of his civil rights.

According to court documents and information presented in court, Michael Christian Green, 26, while on duty as a certified law enforcement officer with the Pearl Police Department, forced an arrestee in custody to lick urine from the floor of a holding cell within the police department.

Green pleaded guilty to Deprivation of Civil Rights Under Color of Law in violation of Title 18 United States Code Section 242. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 12 months in prison. A federal magistrate judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Acting Special Agent in Charge Maher Dimachkie of the FBI’s Jackson Field Office made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the Jackson Division of the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff is prosecuting the case.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of abuse by a law enforcement officer, call the FBI hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI, email tips.fbi.gov or call the FBI Jackson Field Office at 601-948-5000

Jackson, MS – A Jackson man was sentenced to 26 months in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Anthony Craig Myrick, 45, of Jackson opened an account at BankPlus in September 2022 using someone else’s identity. He received several $500 checks he knew to be counterfeit United States Treasury checks from his co-defendant, Ronald Gardner. Gardner and Myrick deposited several counterfeit United States Treasury checks in the account at various BankPlus branches in the Jackson metro area and withdrew the cash before the checks were determined to be counterfeit. Myrick was ordered to pay restitution to BankPlus as part of his sentence.

Ronald Gardner and Anthony Myrick were indicted by a federal grand jury on August 22, 2023. Myrick pleaded guilty on October 17, 2023, and Gardner pleaded guilty on February 2, 2024. Gardner is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 32 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 Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis made the announcement.

The U.S. Secret Service and Rankin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.

Jackson, Miss. – An Amite, Louisiana man was sentenced to 114 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

Kendrick Kenyon Davis, 45, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Jackson.

According to court documents, in August 2019, Davis conspired with others, including Juan Angel Gonzalez, Jr., 50, of Houston, Texas, and Jimario Juvonca Holmes, 35, of Louisville, Mississippi, to distribute cocaine. During the investigation, agents learned that Davis and Gonzalez negotiated the delivery of kilogram quantities of cocaine, and that Davis had elicited the assistance of Holmes to pick up narcotics from Gonzalez in Houston, Texas, and bring them back to Mississippi for distribution.   

“This individual and several others conspired to traffic large quantities of cocaine from Texas into Mississippi without concern for the addiction, death and destruction they would leave in their wake,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune. “Thanks to outstanding teamwork between our HSI office in Jackson, Mississippi, and our OCDETF partners, we were able to dismantle this multi-state drug trafficking ring and prevent them from flooding our local communities with these deadly narcotics.”

Juan Angel Gonzalez, Jr. previously pled guilty for his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced to 9 years in prison. Jimario Juvonca Holmes also pled guilty and is awaiting sentencing.       

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Eric Delaune of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.     

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Jackson and Houston, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Kemper County Sheriff’s Office, Neshoba County Sheriff’s Office, Philadelphia Police Department, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Mississippi National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, and the Beaumont, Texas Police Department.

This case is the result of an extensive investigation targeting illegal drug trafficking in Philadelphia, Neshoba County, Mississippi, and surrounding areas. The 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 prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.

Justice Department Press Release issued January 9, 2024:

In advance of this year’s federal election cycle, and consistent with longstanding Justice Department practices and procedures, the department today is providing information about its efforts, through the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, National Security Division (NSD), and U.S. Attorneys’ offices throughout the country, to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation, or criminal activity in the election process, and to ensure that our elections are secure and free from foreign malign influence and interference.

Civil Rights Division

The department’s Civil Rights Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, and with the criminal provisions of federal statutes prohibiting discriminatory interference with that right. This work is often performed in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ offices.

The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act; the National Voter Registration Act; the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act; the Help America Vote Act; and the Civil Rights Acts. Among other things, collectively, these laws:

• prohibit election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose or a discriminatory result on account of race, color, or language minority status;
• prohibit intimidation of voters;
• allow voters who need assistance in voting because of disability or inability to read or write to receive assistance from a person of their choice (other than agents of their employer or union);
• require minority language election materials and assistance in certain jurisdictions;
• require accessible voting systems for voters with disabilities;
• require that provisional ballots be offered to voters who assert they are registered and eligible to vote in the jurisdiction, but whose names do not appear on poll books;
• require states to provide for absentee voting for uniformed service members serving away from home, their family members also away from home due to that service, and U.S. citizens living abroad; and
• require covered states to offer the opportunity to register to vote through offices that provide driver licenses, public assistance, and disability services, as well as through the mail, and to take steps regarding maintaining voter registration lists.

The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination in voting based on disability. The ADA applies to all aspects of voting, including voter registration, selection and accessibility of voting facilities, and the casting of ballots on Election Day or during early voting, whether in-person or absentee.

The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter interference based on race, color, national origin, or religion.

• Throughout the election cycle, Civil Rights Division attorneys in the Voting, Disability Rights, and Criminal Sections in Washington, D.C., will be ready to receive complaints of potential violations of any of the statutes the Civil Rights Division enforces. The Civil Rights Division will work closely with counterparts at U.S. Attorneys’ offices and other department components to review and take appropriate action concerning these complaints. 
• Individuals with complaints related to possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can call the Justice Department’s toll-free telephone line at 800-253-3931, and can also submit complaints through a link on the department’s website at www.civilrights.justice.gov/.
• Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY), or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at ada.gov.

Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911. They should also be reported to the department after local authorities are contacted. 

Criminal Division and the Department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices

The department’s Criminal Division oversees the enforcement of federal laws that criminalize certain forms of election fraud and vindicate the integrity of the federal election process.

The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and U.S. Attorneys’ offices are responsible for enforcing the federal criminal laws that prohibit various forms of election crimes, such as destruction of ballots, vote-buying, multiple voting, submission of fraudulent ballots or registrations, alteration of votes, and malfeasance by postal or election officials and employees. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorneys’ offices are also responsible for enforcing federal criminal law prohibiting unlawful threats of violence against election workers, and prohibiting voter intimidation and voter suppression for reasons other than race, color, national origin, or religion (as noted above, voter intimidation and voter suppression that has a basis in race, color, national origin, or religion is addressed by the Civil Rights Division often in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ offices).

U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country designate Assistant U.S. Attorneys who serve as District Election Officers (DEOs) in their respective districts. DEOs are responsible for overseeing potential election-crime matters in their districts, and for coordinating with the department’s election-crime experts in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Attorneys’ offices work with specially trained FBI personnel in each district to ensure that complaints from the public involving possible election crimes are handled appropriately. Specifically:

• In consultation with federal prosecutors at the Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C., the DEOs in U.S. Attorneys’ offices, FBI officials at headquarters in Washington, D.C., and FBI special agents serving as Election Crime Coordinators in the FBI’s 56 field offices will be on duty while polls are open to receive complaints from the public.
• Election-crime complaints should be directed to the local U.S. Attorneys’ office or the local FBI field office. A list of U.S. Attorneys’ offices and their telephone numbers can be found at www.justice.gov/usao/districts/. A list of FBI field offices and accompanying telephone numbers can be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us.
• Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations.

All complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should be reported first to local police authorities by calling 911. After alerting local law enforcement to such emergencies by calling 911, the public should contact the Justice Department.

National Security Division

The department’s NSD supervises the investigation and prosecution of cases affecting or relating to national security, including any cases involving foreign malign influence and interference in elections or violent extremist threats to elections. In this context:

• NSD oversees matters involving a range of malign influence activities that foreign governments may attempt.
• NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section oversees matters involving covert information operations (e.g., to promulgate disinformation through social media); covert efforts to support or denigrate political candidates or organizations; and other covert influence operations that might violate various criminal statutes.
• NSD’s National Security Cyber Section oversees such matters when they are cyber-enabled (i.e., when online platforms, such as social media and other online services, are central to the commission of the offense), as well as those involving computer hacking of election or campaign infrastructure.
• NSD’s Counterterrorism Section oversees matters involving international and domestic terrorism and supports law enforcement in preventing any acts of terrorism that impact Americans, including any violent extremism that might threaten election security.

As in past elections, the National Security Division will work closely with counterparts at the FBI and our U.S. Attorneys’ offices to protect our nation’s elections from any national security threats. Attorneys from National Security Division sections will be partnered with FBI Headquarters components to provide support to U.S. Attorneys’ offices and FBI field offices to counter any such threats. The Department of Homeland Security also plays its own important role in safeguarding critical election infrastructure from cyber and other threats.

Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911 and, after local authorities are contacted, then should be reported also to the department.

Protecting the right to vote, prosecuting election crimes, and securing our elections are all essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government. The department encourages anyone with information regarding concerns in these subject areas to contact the appropriate authorities.

For more information about the department’s work to ensure compliance with federal civil and criminal laws related to voting, please visit Voting | Department of Justice and Election Crimes Branch | Department of Justice.

Gulfport, Miss. -- A Biloxi man was sentenced to 136 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for receipt of child pornography.

Andrew Gilbert Landry, 51, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.  In addition to Landry’s term of imprisonment, the Court ordered restitution for victims in the amount of $15,000, and imposed an assessment of $3,000 under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.

According to court documents, Landry was identified by law enforcement as an individual utilizing a peer-to-peer file sharing network and knowingly receiving via the internet at least one visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  Hard drives and a laptop computer recovered from Landry’s residence contained at least 800 videos and 80 still images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, to include those under 12 years of age.    

Landry was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2022.  He pled guilty on November 2, 2023, to receipt of child pornography.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.   

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Cyber Crime Division of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office. 

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

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

Gulfport, MS – A Bay St. Louis man pled guilty for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.   

Kolby Zu Sims, 20, pled guilty 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 followed up on a written complaint alleging drug trafficking at the Motel 6 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.  Agents surveilled the motel and narrowed down the suspected parties and rooms.  Agents 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 occupants of the vehicle participate in what appeared to be a drug transaction in Louisiana.  After the transaction, agents followed the Camry back into Mississippi and conducted a traffic stop. Kolby Sims was identified as one of the occupants of the vehicle who had contributed funds to buy approximately 1000 fentanyl-laced pills to bring back from Louisiana for sale in Mississippi.

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 lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.  More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl

Sims plead guilty to one count of interstate travel in aid of an unlawful activity. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 21, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer 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 U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.

Gulfport, Miss. – A Covington, Louisiana man pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute approximately 1,000 pills laced with fentanyl.

Santana Phillipe Elzy, 23, pled guilty 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 followed up on a written complaint alleging drug trafficking at the Motel 6 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.  Agents surveilled the motel and were able to narrow down the suspected parties and rooms.  During surveillance, agents observed a red Toyota Camry arrive at the Motel 6 to pick up two of the individuals suspected of selling drugs.  Once the vehicle departed, agents followed the vehicle across state lines and observed the occupants of the vehicle, who were identified as Christopher Fricke, Kolby Sims, Emma Stoute, and Dakari Sykes, participate in what appeared to be a drug transaction with an individual, later identified as Santana Elzy, at a Wal-Mart parking lot in Louisiana.  After the transaction, agents followed the Camry back into Mississippi and conducted a traffic stop where they recovered approximately 1,000 fentanyl laced pills and it was confirmed that Elzy had sold the group the pills for distribution in the Southern District of Mississippi.

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 lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.  More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl.

Elzy plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2024.  He faces a maximum penalty of  twenty years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Christopher Fricke and Emma Stoute have pled guilty and will be sentenced later this year.  The cases against Dakari Sykes and Kolby Sims remain pending.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer 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 U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department sent a letter today to the City of Lexington, Mississippi, and the Lexington Police Department (LPD) raising significant concerns regarding their practice of jailing people for unpaid fines without first assessing whether they can afford to pay them.

Specifically, the department informed the City and LPD that their practice violates the Constitution’s prohibition on wealth-based detention in two ways: first, by requiring people who are arrested to pay down outstanding fines before they can be released from jail, and second, by issuing and arresting people on warrants for outstanding fines.

Today’s letter is a part of the Justice Department’s ongoing civil pattern or practice investigation into the City of Lexington and LPD. The investigation, opened on Nov. 8, 2023, seeks to determine whether there are systemic violations of the Constitution and federal law related to use of force; stops, searches and arrests; discriminatory policing and the right to free speech. Although the investigation continues, the Justice Department determined that it was critically important to identify these violations now rather than waiting until the conclusion of the inquiry.

“It’s time to bring an end to a two-tiered system of justice in our country in which a person’s income determines whether they walk free or whether they go to jail,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Unjust enforcement of fines and fees is unlawful, and it traps people and their families in a vicious cycle of poverty and punishment. There is great urgency underlying the issues we have uncovered in Mississippi, and we stand ready to work with officials to end these harmful practices and ensure the civil and constitutional rights of Lexington residents are protected.”

“One third of Lexington’s residents live below the poverty line. The burden of unjust fines and fees undermines the goals of rehabilitation and erodes the community’s trust in the justice system,” said U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi. “Each step we take towards fair and just policing rebuilds that trust. Lexington and LPD can take those steps now, while our investigation is ongoing.”

Justice Department officials met with city and police leaders earlier today about their unlawful practice, which investigators identified during its ongoing investigation. Lexington officials have pledged to work with the Justice Department to ensure that the collection of fines and fees complies with legal requirements.

On April 20, 2023, the Justice Department issued a Dear Colleague Letter on Fines and Fees explaining that before a person can be imprisoned for failure to pay a fine or fee, the Constitution requires courts to first determine whether the person lacks the resources to pay. In most circumstances, if a person cannot afford to pay, imprisonment for unpaid fines or fees is unlawful.

Additional information about the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Information specific to the Civil Rights Division’s police reform work can be found at www.justice.gov/crt/file/922421/download.

The Justice Department sent a letter today to the City of Lexington, Mississippi, and the Lexington Police Department (LPD) raising significant concerns regarding their practice of jailing people for unpaid fines without first assessing whether they can afford to pay them.

Specifically, the department informed the City and LPD that their practice violates the Constitution’s prohibition on wealth-based detention in two ways: first, by requiring people who are arrested to pay down outstanding fines before they can be released from jail, and second, by issuing and arresting people on warrants for outstanding fines.

Today’s letter is a part of the Justice Department’s ongoing civil pattern or practice investigation into the City of Lexington and LPD. The investigation, opened on Nov. 8, 2023, seeks to determine whether there are systemic violations of the Constitution and federal law related to use of force; stops, searches and arrests; discriminatory policing and the right to free speech. Although the investigation continues, the Justice Department determined that it was critically important to identify these violations now rather than waiting until the conclusion of the inquiry.

“It’s time to bring an end to a two-tiered system of justice in our country in which a person’s income determines whether they walk free or whether they go to jail,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Unjust enforcement of fines and fees is unlawful, and it traps people and their families in a vicious cycle of poverty and punishment. There is great urgency underlying the issues we have uncovered in Mississippi, and we stand ready to work with officials to end these harmful practices and ensure the civil and constitutional rights of Lexington residents are protected.”

“One third of Lexington’s residents live below the poverty line. The burden of unjust fines and fees undermines the goals of rehabilitation and erodes the community’s trust in the justice system,” said U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi. “Each step we take towards fair and just policing rebuilds that trust. Lexington and LPD can take those steps now, while our investigation is ongoing.”

Justice Department officials met with city and police leaders earlier today about their unlawful practice, which investigators identified during its ongoing investigation. Lexington officials have pledged to work with the Justice Department to ensure that the collection of fines and fees complies with legal requirements.

On April 20, 2023, the Justice Department issued a Dear Colleague Letter on Fines and Fees explaining that before a person can be imprisoned for failure to pay a fine or fee, the Constitution requires courts to first determine whether the person lacks the resources to pay. In most circumstances, if a person cannot afford to pay, imprisonment for unpaid fines or fees is unlawful.

Additional information about the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Information specific to the Civil Rights Division’s police reform work can be found at www.justice.gov/crt/file/922421/download.

Jackson, Miss. – A Meridian man was sentenced to 84 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents and admissions in open court, Jacquis LaShawn Houston, 27, was found in possession of a firearm by a Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office deputy on March 16, 2020, during a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Houston was riding as a passenger.  Houston threw a 9mm caliber pistol from the vehicle.  As a convicted felon, it is contrary to federal law for Houston to possess any firearm.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement.

The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office 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.

The Justice Department announced today its findings that conditions of confinement at three Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) facilities violate the 8th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The Department’s 60-page report details its findings from a thorough investigation of the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, South Mississippi Correctional Institution, and Wilkinson County Correctional Facility. These three prisons currently house about 7,200 people.

The report concludes that MDOC routinely violates the constitutional rights of people incarcerated at all three facilities by failing to protect them from widespread physical violence. The state does not adequately supervise the incarcerated population, control the flow of contraband, adequately investigate incidents of serious harm, or provide adequate living conditions. These problems are exacerbated by chronic understaffing that has allowed gangs to exert improper influence inside the prisons.

The report also concludes that Mississippi unconstitutionally subjects persons at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility and Wilkinson County Correctional Facility to prolonged restrictive housing under harsh conditions that places them at substantial risk of serious physical and psychological harm.

“People living in prisons and jails have a constitutional right to safe and adequate living conditions,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Our investigation uncovered that people in these three facilities were subjected to violent and unsafe conditions, in violation of the Constitution. We look forward to working with Mississippi officials to remedy these violations and improve safety and living standards for people incarcerated in the state of Mississippi.”

“Every state is constitutionally obligated to protect the people it incarcerates from known, pervasive and deliberately unchecked violence, and to house people in conditions that do not pose a serious risk of physical and psychological harm,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our investigation uncovered chronic, systemic deficiencies that create and perpetuate violent and unsafe environments for people incarcerated at these three Mississippi facilities. The unconstitutional conditions in Mississippi’s prisons have existed for far too long, and we hope that this announcement marks a turning point towards implementing sound, evidence-based solutions to these entrenched problems. The Justice Department stands ready to enforce the dictates of the Constitution that protect the safety and human dignity of all people housed at state prison facilities. Our work makes clear that people do not abandon their civil and constitutional rights at the jailhouse door.”

“Ensuring constitutional and humane conditions of confinement in our prisons is a key part of public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi. “By allowing physical violence, illegal gang activity, and contraband to run rampant, Mississippi not only violates the rights of people incarcerated at these facilities, but also compromises the legitimacy of law enforcement efforts to protect our communities. Our office remains committed to upholding the rights of all our district’s residents. We look forward to working with the Mississippi Department of Corrections to protect the constitutional and civil rights of those incarcerated at these three Mississippi prison facilities.”

“The conclusion of the investigation and the issuance of findings is only the start of the work necessary to ensure that the state of Mississippi and the Mississippi Department of Corrections fulfill their constitutional obligations to the people it incarcerates,” said U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi. “The minimum remedial measures outlined in this report create the framework for what the state must do to reasonably protect people in these facilities from violence and prevent deprivation of fundamental physical and psychological needs. While this report makes clear that there is much work for the state to do, we are committed to working with state officials to ensure that Mississippi abides by its constitutional obligations.”

Today’s announcement follows the Department’s April 2022 report finding that conditions at the Mississippi State Penitentiary (known as Parchman) violated the constitutional rights of persons incarcerated there by subjecting them to violence, failing to provide adequate care for serious mental health needs, or adequate suicide prevention measures and using prolonged restrictive housing in a manner that poses a risk of serious harm.

The Justice Department launched its investigation of Parchman, Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, South Mississippi Correctional Institution, and Wilkinson County Correctional Facility in February 2020, under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA). As required by CRIPA, the department provided the State of Mississippi with written notice of the supporting facts for its conclusions and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address the alleged violations.

The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi conducted the investigation.

For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. You can also report civil rights violations to the section by completing the complaint form available at civilrights.justice.gov/. To provide information related to the Department’s investigation of the four Mississippi prisons, please call 1-833-591-0288 or email the department at Community.MSDoc@usdoj.gov.

Jackson, Miss. – A Conehatta man pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact with a child.

According to court documents, Brett Keith Thomas, 27, engaged in sexual contact with a minor under the age of twelve. Court records show that the offense occurred in the Conehatta Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation in 2016.  

Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2024, and faces up to life in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Maher Dimachkie of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.

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

Gulfport, MS – A Wiggins man pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute over 250 grams of a substance containing fentanyl.

According to court documents, on September 7, 2023, the Wiggins Police Department received information that George Tavoris Moore, Jr., 28, was expected to receive a package containing fentanyl at a Wiggins address. A subsequent investigation led to a search of the Wiggins residence and the package.  The search yielded approximately 252 grams of pills containing fentanyl.

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 lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.  More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl.

Moore pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 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 Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans made the announcement.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Wiggins Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.

Jackson, Miss. – A Texas man was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay restitution for illegally obtaining more than $400,000 in government benefits.

According to court documents, Ganiyu Abayomi Jimoh, 30, a Nigerian national with dual United States citizenship, conspired with others to commit wire fraud by opening numerous bank accounts in Hinds, Madison, and Rankin Counties using other individuals’ personal identifying information, then fraudulently applying for multiple Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) through the Small Business Administration (SBA). In August and September 2020, Jimoh received four direct deposits from the SBA totaling $439,500.

At the time of the instant offense, Jimoh was on federal bond out of the Southern District of Texas.  Although Jimoh lived in Houston, Texas, he traveled to Mississippi on multiple occasions to visit different banks.

Jimoh pleaded guilty in November 2023 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. His sentence will be served consecutively to an undischarged term of imprisonment on federal offenses committed in the Southern District of Texas.

“The United States Secret Service is committed to investigating and pursuing those who aim to take advantage of victims while trying to exploit our nation’s financial infrastructure,” said Kyle Smith, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Jackson Resident Office. “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners, this individual will be held responsible for these crimes.”

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis made the announcement.

The United States Secret Service investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie prosecuted the case.

The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization that expands states’ ability to provide unemployment insurance for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who are not ordinarily eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.

Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Jackson, Miss. – A Meridian man pleaded guilty today to escaping from a federal facility.

According to court documents and facts admitted by the defendant in open court, Timothy Louis Jones, Jr., 36, escaped the Bureau of Prisons residential re-entry center at which he was confined.  Jones was permitted to leave the facility in the morning to go to work but was required to return to the facility each evening immediately after work.  In November 2023, Jones went to work but never returned to the facility despite repeated calls from staff at the facility.  Jones was eventually taken into custody in Alabama by the U.S. Marshals Service.  Such conduct is prohibited by federal law. 

Jones will be sentenced on May 7, 2024, 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.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and U.S. Marshal Mark B. Shepherd made the announcement. 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.

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

Jackson, Miss. – A Lauderdale County man was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for making threats of violence over the internet.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in May and July 2020, Christian Blake Bunyard, 21, utilized Snapchat to threaten a school shooting, to kill and rape African Americans in Oxford, Mississippi, and to rape another Snapchat user if she did not provide nude photos.

Bunyard was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in November 2020. He entered a guilty plea in April 2021 to making threats in interstate commerce and making an interstate transmission of an extortionate communication.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Acting Special Agent in Charge Maher Dimachkie of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie prosecuted the case.

Gulfport, Miss. – A Lawrenceville, Georgia man pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 251.5 grams of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, on May 15, 2023, Martin Louis Williams was pulled over by law enforcement in a traffic stop on Interstate 10 in Hancock County.  A subsequent search of the vehicle yielded 1000 pills stamped with a “Facebook” logo.  The pills were sent to the DEA lab and confirmed to be 251.5 grams of methamphetamine at 5% purity, mixed with caffeine.  Williams was interviewed and admitted that he was taking the pills to Georgia to be sold.

Williams pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2024, and faces up to twenty 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 Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Acting Special Agent in Charge Mike Arnett 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 U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON – A group of Mississippi tax return preparers were sentenced to prison yesterday for charges related to a conspiracy to prepare and file false tax returns for clients in Jackson, Mississippi.

Adam Earnest was sentenced to 100 months in prison, James Klish was sentenced to 50 months in prison and John Wells was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Each was also ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Daniel P. Jordan III for the Southern District of Mississippi to serve three years of supervised release and to pay restitution to the United States in an amount the court will later determine.

Two other conspirators, Christopher Rendell and Jonathan Barefoot, will be sentenced at a later date.

A federal jury convicted Earnest, Klish and Rendell of conspiring to defraud the United States by preparing false tax returns at Sunbelt Tax Service, a return preparation business that operated in Jackson. Earnest and Randell were also convicted of preparing such returns. Wells and Barefoot pleaded guilty before the trial to crimes related to preparing and filing false tax returns for clients.

According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Earnest, Randell, Klish, Barefoot and Wells worked at Sunbelt and conspired together to claim inflated tax refunds for clients by reporting false education credits, itemized deductions and business profits or losses on their clients’ tax returns. Over the years, they prepared thousands of fraudulent returns, causing over $3.5 million in tax loss to the IRS.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Patrick Elwell, Zachary Cobb and Mary Frances Richardson of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.

Jackson, Miss. – A Mexican national, residing in the United States illegally, pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

According to court documents, Joel Terrazas Olvera, 51, was found in possession of a firearm by a Rankin County Sheriff’s Deputy on September 19, 2023 during a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Olvera was riding as a passenger. A federal grand jury indicted Olvera for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

Olvera is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9, 2024, and faces a maximum 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 Todd W. Gee, Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations, and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff 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.

Jackson, Miss. – A Meridian man was sentenced to 245 months in federal prison for four armed robberies across Mississippi.

According to court documents, Matthew Byrd, 42, committed four armed robberies of local businesses across Mississippi between April 20, 2022, and May 15, 2022. The robberies took place in Lauderdale County, Forest County, and Hinds County. During each robbery, Byrd displayed a firearm to intimidate the clerk and steal merchandise and cash from the business.

Byrd previously pled guilty to three counts of robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department, East Mississippi Drug Task Force, Meridian Police Department, Clinton Police Department, Newton County Sherriff’s Department, and the ATF investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam T. Stuart 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 D’Iberville man pled guilty to possession of visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

According to court documents, Benjamin Lee Poiroux, 40, was encountered by FBI agents at the  Gulfport Airport and gave consent for his electronic devices to be forensically searched.  The search of his iPad, laptop, and cellular telephone revealed he possessed over 1,300 visual images and 75 videos of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, also known as child sexual abuse materials.

Poiroux is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 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 Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Maher Dimachkie of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case with assistance from the Cyber Crime Division at the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office. 

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

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

Jackson, Mississippi – A Crystal Springs man was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 429.9 grams of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Marcus Baldridge a/k/a Possum a/k/a Lil One, 40, of Crystal Springs, Mississippi, negotiated the sale of a pound of methamphetamine to an individual. During the sale, Baldridge realized he lacked two ounces to complete the pound. Baldridge left the buy location to meet with his source of supply, then returned to the location and provided the two ounces of methamphetamine to his co-conspirator, Dremarcus Taylor, who subsequently provided the two ounces to the buyer to complete the transaction. The substances sold by Baldridge were analyzed by the DEA Laboratory and confirmed to be methamphetamine hydrochloride with a combined net weight of 429.9 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine. 

Dremarcus Taylor entered a plea of guilty for his role and is scheduled for sentencing on May 21, 2024.  

This case is the result of an extensive investigation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the Hinds County, Mississippi, and surrounding areas. The 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.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Mike Arnett of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.   

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. 

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

Gulfport, Miss. – A Monroeville, Alabama man was sentenced to 397 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. 

Curtis Navelle Harrison, 46, was sentenced on February 21, 2024, in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.  

According to court documents, on July 23, 2021, as part of an ongoing investigation, law enforcement officers conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Louis Booker, Jr. at a residence in Moss Point, Mississippi.  Three days later, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the residence.  During the execution of the search warrant, Booker, Harrison, another adult male, and a minor child fled from the residence.  When the individuals were apprehended, officers located a $10.00 bill from the prior buy on Harrison’s person.  Approximately 200 grams of methamphetamine, firearms, and fentanyl were also recovered from the residence. Subsequent investigation resulted in the discovery of text messages and social media messages between Harrison and Booker, which demonstrated that they were involved in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. 

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 lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.  More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl.

On June 14, 2023, a jury in federal court found Harrison guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. 

In imposing sentence, the court noted Harrison’s prior criminal history.  Specifically, the Court pointed to the fact that at the time of his commission of this offense, Harrison was out on parole from a life sentence in Alabama.  According to documents submitted to the court, Harrison was sentenced to life in Alabama based on his prior convictions for attempted murder and 1st degree armed robbery of an undercover police officer.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement.

The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Buckner and Lauren Dick prosecuted the case with support from Assistant U.S. Attorney Gaines Cleveland.

Jackson, Mississippi – Two Kemper County men were each sentenced to over 20 years in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams of more of methamphetamine.

Donovan Sherill Bourrage, 45, was sentenced to 324 months in federal prison and Orlando Bourrage, 48, was sentenced to 280 months in federal prison.

According to court documents, Donovan Sherill Bourrage and Orlando Bourrage, both of DeKalb, Mississippi, conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in and around the Kemper County area. On May 22, 2023, after a five-day trial, a jury found the defendants guilty of conspiracy to  possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

The case is the result of an extensive investigation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the Neshoba and Kemper County areas. The 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.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans made the announcement. 

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Kemper County Sheriff’s Office, Neshoba County Sheriff’s Office, Philadelphia Police Department, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Mississippi National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, and the Madison Police Department. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Keesha Middleton and Carla Clark.

Gulfport, Miss. – A Wiggins man was sentenced to 237 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 20 fentanyl pills.

According to court documents, Riley Alexander Wallace, 31, sold 20 fentanyl pills to an individual in Stone County on August 9, 2022.  Wallace was indicted by a federal grand jury and pled guilty on October 27, 2023, to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

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 lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.  More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose prosecuted the case.

Gulfport, Miss. –  An Ocean Springs man was sentenced to 211 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 1,231 grams of methamphetamine.

Dante Ladon Evans, 48, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.    

According to court documents, Evans was on supervised release when a probation officer went to his residence and discovered narcotics.  Further investigation revealed that Evans was in possession of 1,231 grams of methamphetamine. 

Evans pled guilty on November 6, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. 

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement.  

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

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.

Gulfport, Miss.– A Gulfport woman was sentenced to 225 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 264 grams of methamphetamine. 

According to court documents, on July 1, 2020, law enforcement agents received information that packages containing narcotics were being delivered to Mary Lou Harmon, 61, at an address in D’Iberville, Mississippi.  Harmon and a co-conspirator would receive the packages at the address and then distribute the narcotics.  On July 8, 2020, two packages were sent to the address and law enforcement stopped the distribution.  One of the packages addressed to Mary Lou Harmon contained 264 grams of pure methamphetamine. 

Harmon was indicted by a federal grand jury, and she pled guilty on November 2, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Acting Special Agent in Charge Mike Arnett of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose prosecuted 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.

Gulfport, MS – Two former managers for the Economy Inn in Bay St. Louis were sentenced on February 14, 2024, for their involvement in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. 

Pernell Robert Galloway, 54, was sentenced to 131 months in prison and Cassie Louise McKenzie, 42, was sentenced to 115 months in prison.

According to court documents, in 2023, agents began investigating drug activity at the Economy Inn located on US Hwy 90 in Bay St. Louis.  Agents received information that Pernell Robert Galloway and Cassie Louise McKenzie were managers at the hotel but also selling drugs from the hotel. Law enforcement began doing controlled purchases of methamphetamine from the duo. On or about June 8, 2023, a search warrant was executed at the Economy Inn where Galloway and McKenzie were located. During the search, agents located an additional 14 grams of what field tested positive for methamphetamine in two separate bags. Agents also located a firearm, digital scales, and additional unused distribution baggies.

Galloway and McKenzie were indicted by a federal grand jury and they subsequently pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Arnett 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 U.S. Attorney Erica Rose prosecuted the case.

*An earlier press release dated February 14, 2024, mistakenly stated the substance at issue was a mixture of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The press release should have only referenced methamphetamine.

Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was arrested today and taken into federal custody for illegal possession of a machinegun by possessing a Glock pistol that had a machinegun conversion device (MCD) attached to it, commonly known as a “switch.”

According to court documents, on Friday, February 9, 2024, Kylin Demond Russell, 22, led Capitol Police officers on a high-speed chase, reaching speeds of up to 120 mph, after failing to yield for a traffic stop. When his vehicle ultimately came to a stop, he attempted to flee on foot, was detained, and two Glock pistols with attached MCDs were found in the vehicle. Capitol Police contacted the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The vehicle driven by Russell appears to match the description of a vehicle seen in a video, taken by a citizen in Jackson and widely distributed on-line, showing a person firing a weapon from the vehicle.

Russell had his initial court appearance today before a United States Magistrate Judge. He was denied bond and ordered detained. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

The case is being investigated by the ATF and Capitol Police.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen is prosecuting the case.

This arrest is a result of Operation Unified and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), both of which are coordinated efforts between state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies. Agencies participating in Operation Unified include the Mississippi Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Narcotics, Capitol Police and Office of Homeland Security; the Jackson Police Department; the Hinds County District Attorney and Hinds County Sheriff’s Office; the Mississippi Department of Corrections; and the FBI, DEA, and ATF, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The PSN Program is 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 was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Randy Williams, Jr., 52, of Jackson, sold methamphetamine from his residence to an individual.  Williams was held accountable for distributing a total amount of 144 grams of methamphetamine, with 81 grams having a purity of 100%.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Rebekah Day of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.   

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jackson Police Department, and Hinds County Sheriff’s Office. 

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

Jackson, Miss. – A Neshoba County man pleaded guilty to possession of 26 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in the Pearl River Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.

According to court documents, in April of 2022, Marcus Tubby, Jr., 31, possessed 26 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Tubby was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023.

Tubby is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of twenty 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 Todd Gee, Acting Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Whitney Woodruff, Regional Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the Choctaw Police Department, the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.

Gulfport, Miss. – A Gulfport resident was convicted by a federal jury of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  

Mark Anthony Robillia, 54, was found guilty following a two-day trial in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.   

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on December 1, 2022, the DEA and Gulfport Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence in Gulfport where they found Robillia, along with four firearms in plain view.  Officers also found three identification cards belonging to Robillia and a letter addressed to him at that residence.  They also discovered a fifth firearm and approximately 40 grams of methamphetamine wrapped in 13 separate baggies hidden in a closet. 

Further investigation revealed that Robillia purchased three of the firearms and the remaining two were given to him.  Robillia had been previously convicted and incarcerated for aggravated assault, being a felon in the possession of a firearm, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.  The evidence also indicated that Robillia was distributing methamphetamine from the house where the search warrant was executed. 

Robillia is scheduled to be sentenced on May 14, 2024.  He faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison for the drug offense and fifteen years for the gun offense. 

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gulfport Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Buckner and Lee Smith prosecuted the case.

Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Ronald Gardner, 51, and his co-conspirator, Anthony Craig Myrick, 45, both of Jackson, opened an account at BankPlus in another person’s name in September 2022. Gardner and Myrick deposited several counterfeit United States Treasury checks in the account at various BankPlus branches in the Jackson metro area and withdrew the cash before the checks were determined to be counterfeit. Gardner admitted to manufacturing the counterfeit Treasury checks and creating a false identification card using another person’s name and identity.

Ronald Gardner and Anthony Myrick were indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Mississippi on August 22, 2023. Myrick pleaded guilty on October 17, 2023, and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 11, 2024. Gardner is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2, 2024. Both defendants face a maximum penalty of 32 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 Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis made the announcement.

The U.S. Secret Service and Rankin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.

Jackson, Mississippi – A Jackson man pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute over 37 grams of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, Ronald Glenn Cobbs, Jr. a/k/a Lil’ Ron a/k/a Reverend Bankroll, 39, possessed over 37 grams of methamphetamine at his business located in North Mart Plaza in Jackson. 

Cobbs is scheduled to be sentenced on May 3, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  

The case is the result of an extensive investigation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the Jackson, Mississippi, and surrounding areas. The 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.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.   

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, Ridgeland Police Department, and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. 

Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton is prosecuting the case.

Jackson, Miss. –A Conehatta man was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for having sexual contact with a child in the Conehatta Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.

According to court documents, Dayleon Phillips, Sr., 35, admitted to having sexual contact with a child less than 12 years of age while in the Conehatta Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.

U.S. Attorney Todd Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Rebekah Day of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. 

The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.

Jackson, Miss. – A Jones County man pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit a kidnapping.

According to court documents, in July of 2023, Tyreese Khalia Kejuan Smith, 23, assaulted an adult female in the Bogue Homa Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.  Smith was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023.

Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30, 2024, and faces up to ten years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The conviction was a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Trails Task Force which is comprised of officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Choctaw Police Department, Jones County Sheriff’s Department, and various state and local law enforcement agencies.

U.S. Attorney Todd Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Rebekah Day of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.

Jackson, Miss. – U.S. Attorney Todd Gee announced that two members of his staff were honored with Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Awards at a ceremony held today at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C.  The annual Attorney General’s Awards recognize Justice Department employees and others for extraordinary contributions to the enforcement of our nation’s laws. 

“Each of today’s recipients has served with distinction, and in so doing, they have enabled the Justice Department to advance its work on behalf of the American people,” said Attorney General Garland. “Their exceptional leadership, heroism, and dedication have benefited people and communities across the country. 

In the Southern District of Mississippi, Civil Division Chief Angela Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitzi Dease Paige were chosen, along with other team members from the Justice Department’s Environmental Enforcement Section, Office of Environmental Justice, and Community Relations Service, for their work related to the City of Jackson’s water crisis.   

The Jackson Safe Drinking Water Act/Clean Water Act team was recognized for its outstanding work engaging with the City of Jackson on both its drinking water and wastewater systems and negotiating two stipulated orders appointing a third-party manager to take over the City’s failing systems. 

“The Department of Justice’s work with the City of Jackson and other partners to obtain a third party administrator for the water system has already had a real impact on making Jackson’s water safer,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee. “This award reflects the hard work of the DOJ attorneys and other personnel that helped make that happen.”

Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison for carjacking and brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Russell Emmett Gibbs, 46, carjacked a male victim at gunpoint on Edgewood Terrace in Jackson, Mississippi in November 2020. Gibbs was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 6, 2023, and entered a guilty plea on October 26, 2023.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the ATF and the Jackson Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Gulfport, Miss. –  A Memphis man was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 27 grams of methamphetamine.

Bryant Williams, 40, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.  

According to court records, in 2015, an investigation began into a large-scale drug trafficking organization located largely in Picayune, MS (Pearl River County).  In 2018, Bryant Williams and two others were identified as being part of the conspiracy.  On October 24, 2018, Williams and two of his co-conspirators sold 27.9g of actual methamphetamine at 99% purity to an individual in Picayune.   

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Steve Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.    

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.

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.

Jackson, Miss. – A McComb man pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on April 1, 2021, Norkeithus Malik Reed, 24, was found in possession of a firearm when Brookhaven Police officers responded to a complaint at an area restaurant where Reed was causing a disturbance.  Reed was previously convicted in state court of drug-related felony charges and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Reed will be sentenced on April 30, 2024, 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.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen is prosecuting the case.

Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, Randy Rodriquez Jones, 49, sold a firearm to an individual on January 8, 2020.  Jones had multiple prior drug-related felony convictions and a previous state court conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As a convicted felon, it is contrary to federal law for Jones to possess any firearm.

Jones will be sentenced on April 30, 2024, 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.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement.

The ATF is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen 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.