Southern District of Mississippi
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Three Illegal Aliens Plead Guilty to Unlawfully Reentering After Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Daniel Martinez-Rodriguez, 42, Jorge Rios-Juaquin, 41, and Anastacio Compean-Galicia, 37, all illegal aliens from Mexico, pled guilty this week before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to the federal crime of unlawful reentry by an alien after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, and Mr. Trey Lund, Acting Field Office Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations in New Orleans. Martinez-Rodriguez pled guilty yesterday, while Rios-Juaquin and Compean-Galicia pled guilty on Wednesday.
All three men are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Guirola on January 3, 2019. Each man faces up to 2 years imprisonment, not more than 1 year supervised release, and a maximum $250,000 fine. Each also faces being removed from the United States by the Department of Homeland Security following the completion of any prison sentence.
"We will remain vigilant in enforcing and prosecuting those who wantonly violate our immigration laws, especially aliens like these who violate our other criminal laws, as their actions put us, our families, and our fellow citizens in danger. I commend the resilience and determination of our local officers, ICE agents and prosecutors in bringing these individuals to justice before they truly harm others," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
On May 23, 2018, Martinez-Rodriguez was encountered by ICE officers in Bay St. Louis while conducting fugitive operations. Department of Homeland Security computerized record checks using Martinez-Rodriguez’s fingerprints revealed that Martinez-Rodriguez was born in Mexico and had been previously arrested and convicted in the City of Waveland in 2015 for Driving Under the Influence (DUI). Martinez-Rodriquez was physically removed by ICE to Mexico in 2017.
On May 22, 2018, Rios-Juaquin was arrested by the Gulfport Police Department, and on May 30, 2018, he was convicted of the misdemeanor offense of providing False Identification to a Law Enforcement Officer. Thereafter, ICE officers arrested Rios-Juaquin and Homeland
Security records revealed that Rios-Juaquin had been previously arrested by the Biloxi Police Department and was physically removed by ICE from the United States to Mexico in 2011. However, he returned to the United States and again was lawfully removed to Mexico in September 2014, after another arrest by the Gulfport Police Department. The following month, Rios-Juaquin returned to the United States and was removed again from Texas to Mexico in October 2014. Thereafter, Rios-Juaquin returned again in 2015, and after another arrest by the Gulfport Police Department, he was lawfully removed again from the United States to Mexico in November 2015. After his removal in 2015, Rios-Juaquin unlawfully returned again and was convicted in August 2017, in the Circuit Court of Harrison County, of a felony offense (Taking a Vehicle) and served approximately 1 year in state prison.
On May 22, 2018, Compean-Galicia, using the name of Orlando Martinez, was taken into custody by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department for Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Careless Driving, and Driving With No Driver’s License. On May 24, 2018, Compean-Galicia was arrested by ICE and was positively identified through computerized record revealing he had been lawfully ordered removed by a United States Immigration Judge in 2010, after being convicted of DUI in Gulfport Municipal Court in Harrison County. Records verified that he was physically removed from the United States to Mexico in 2010. However, Compean-Galicia returned to the United States in 2013 and was arrested again for DUI in Gautier, MS. Thereafter, records document that his order of removal was reinstated, and he was physically removed again from the United States to Mexico in 2014.
U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the Department of Homeland Security, Enforcement and Removal Operations, the City of Waveland Police Department, the City of Gulfport Police Department, the City of Biloxi Police Department, the City of Gautier Police Department, and the Sheriff’s Departments of Hancock, Harrison and Jackson Counties. Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for each of the three cases.
Texas Man Found Guilty by Federal Jury of Drug Conspiracy and TraffickingRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Yesterday, after a three-day trial, a federal jury in Jackson, Mississippi, found Kevin Lawrence, 44, of Houston, Texas, guilty of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, and use of a communication facility to commit the crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Hurst and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Assistant Special Agent in Charge J. Derryle Smith.
On March 24, 2013, DEA seized approximately 262 pounds of marijuana at local truck stop in Jackson, Mississippi, from Kendrick Applewhite and Steven Davison. Through the course of the investigation, agents learned that Kevin Lawrence had ordered the marijuana and coordinated the pickup of the marijuana with Applewhite and Davison.
On September 20, 2018, Applewhite and Davison pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana. They are scheduled to be sentenced on December 21, 2018 by Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III, and each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Judge Jordan, who also presided over the Lawrence case, will sentence Lawrence on January 18, 2019. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the DEA Jackson District Office, DEA Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the Jackson Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Wansley and John Meynardie.
Pascagoula Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Byron Ratliff, Jr., 21, of Pascagoula, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 2 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Ratliff was also ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.
On April 5, 2018, officers with the Pascagoula Police Department responded to a shots fired report. Based on witness descriptions of the car involved, police identified Ratliff as the shooter, who along with two others in the car, were in possession of marijuana and two firearms. Both guns were stolen from Long Beach, Mississippi, just a few hours before the shooting incident. Ratliff admitted to officers that he had been smoking marijuana every day for several years.
Pascagoula Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Reentering United States After RemovalRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Donai Villafuerte-Martinez, 28, an illegal alien from Guatemala, pled guilty yesterday before Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to the federal crime of Unlawful Reentry by an Alien after Removal, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Gregory K. Bovino, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.
Villafuerte-Martinez is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Guirola on January 3, 2019. He faces a potential maximum penalty of 2 years in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, a maximum $250,000 fine, and Department of Homeland Security removal proceedings after completion of any prison sentence.
On August 6, 2018, a South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team Agent, who also is a City of Gautier Police Officer, stopped a 2015 Toyota Corolla with a fraudulent Texas license paper tag along Interstate 10 East in Jackson County. Based on his training and experience as an interdiction agent, the officer believed he had interrupted an alien smuggling event in progress and he called the U.S. Border Patrol. Two Border Patrol agents, including a fluent Spanish speaker, responded to the scene and determined that the driver had been a passenger in a vehicle that had been recently stopped by agents on I-10, although no arrests had been made.
Agents also noted multiple indicators that alien smuggling was taking place. Ultimately, the driver was arrested for transporting illegal aliens. His five passengers, including Villafuerte-Martinez, were arrested for being illegally present in the United States, and all were transported to the Gulfport Border Patrol Station for processing. At the Border Patrol Station, two of the five illegal alien passengers, including Villafuerte-Martinez, were identified as having been lawfully removed from the United States.
Agents determined that Villafuerte-Martinez was born in Guatemala in 1990, is a citizen of Guatemala, and is an illegal alien who had been lawfully removed from the United States in 2017. Finally, agents determined that Villafuerte-Martinez had not received permission to reenter the United States when he illegally returned in 2018.
U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the coordinated work of the United States Border Patrol, the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team and the City of Gautier Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.
Four Louisiana Businessmen Charged with Conspiracy and Bribery of Former Mississippi Corrections Commissioner and Kemper County SheriffRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Four Louisiana businessmen have been indicted and arrested for conspiracy, paying bribes, and attempting to pay bribes to former Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Christopher B. Epps and current Kemper County Sheriff James Moore in exchange for receiving contracts involving the MDOC and a regional detention facility located in Kemper County, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Christopher Freeze, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
A three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on September 19, 2018, charges the four businessmen with conspiracy to defraud the United States, and bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. They are identified as:
• Michael LeBlanc Sr., 70, of Baton Rouge, La.
• Michael LeBlanc Jr., 40, of Prairieville, La.
• Tawasky L. Ventroy, 59, of Opelousas, La.
• Jacque B. Jackson, 50, of Laplace, La.
Between 2012 and 2015, the four are alleged to have conspired to pay bribes to former MDOC Commissioner Epps and Kemper County Sheriff Moore. Sheriff Moore voluntarily assisted the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and was never a subject of this investigation.
"As long as public corruption continues to be an issue in our state, I can promise you that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be here to root it out, prosecute it, and ensure that justice is done. I want to personally thank Kemper County Sheriff James Moore for coming forward and working with us to catch those who violate our corruption laws," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
According to the indictment, LeBlanc Sr., LeBlanc Jr., Ventroy and Jackson were associated with Brothers Commissary Services and American Phone Systems, both located in Louisiana but operating in the state of Mississippi.
The indictment states that LeBlanc Sr. allegedly used corrupt means in an attempt to secure lucrative jail and detention facility contracts for commissary and other services throughout Mississippi. Ventroy worked for LeBlanc Sr. to help secure the contracts.
According to the indictment, on or about October 20, 2014, LeBlanc Sr. called Epps to confirm Ventroy would be meeting with Epps. On or about October 21, 2014, Ventroy brought a $2,000 cash bribe or gratuity to former Commissioner Epps. LeBlanc Sr. and Ventroy also agreed to give something of value of $5,000 or more with the intent to influence Epps for awarding and retention of the contracts for LeBlanc Sr.’s company for inmate commissary services.
The indictment alleges that LeBlanc Jr. used corrupt means in an attempt to secure lucrative jail contracts for commissary and inmate telephone services with the Kemper County Regional Correctional Facility and elsewhere. Jackson worked for LeBlanc Jr. to help secure the contracts.
According to the indictment, on or about December 8, 2014, LeBlanc Jr. obtained $2,000 in casino chips at a Biloxi, Mississippi, casino. LeBlanc Jr. provided a minimum of four $500 chips to Jackson. Jackson gave Sheriff Moore a total of $2,000 in casino chips in the men’s restroom of the casino because the inside of the restroom was not covered by casino surveillance cameras. LeBlanc Jr. and Jackson also agreed to give something of value of $5,000 or more with the intent to influence Moore for awarding and retention of the contracts for LeBlanc Jr.’s company for inmate telephone and commissary services at the Kemper County Regional Correctional Facility.
LeBlanc Sr., LeBlanc Jr., Ventroy and Jackson are appearing today before United States Magistrate Judges in the Louisiana districts where they were arrested. Each will appear for their arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda R. Anderson in Jackson, Mississippi, on October 16, 2018, at 1:30 p.m.
LeBlanc Sr. and Ventroy are charged in Counts 1 and 2, which carry a maximum sentence of imprisonment of 5 years and 10 years each, respectively. LeBlanc Jr. and Jackson are charged in Counts 1 and 3, which also carries a maximum sentence of imprisonment of 5 years and 10 years each, respectively. Each count carries a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Hurst commended the work of the special agents with the FBI’s Jackson Division who investigated the case, along with assistance from Kemper County Sheriff James Moore. The FBI New Orleans Division assisted with the arrests. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jay Golden and Kathlyn Van Buskirk.
The public is reminded that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Former State Criminal Investigator Charged with ExtortionRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Frank Saddler, 52, of Ridgeland, was charged by Criminal Information with one count of Extortion Under Color of Official Right, relating to his former job with the Mississippi Department of Human Services investigating fraud related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze, and Dax Roberson, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Agriculture.
"There is almost nothing more corrosive to our democratic form of government than one who abuses his position of authority and public trust. Prosecuting public corruption is a priority of this U.S. Attorney’s Office, and those who abuse their power should be on notice that they will be held to account by this Justice Department," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
As set forth in the Criminal Information, Saddler was a Branch Director with the Mississippi Department of Human Services ("MDHS"), which has oversight of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ("SNAP") of the United States Department of Agriculture in Mississippi. Saddler’s duties included investigating violations of the SNAP regulations and pursuing criminal charges against violators.
As charged in the Criminal Information, from July 23, 2014 through June 12, 2015, Saddler extorted money from the owners of convenience stores who violated SNAP regulations and who had been charged with criminal violations relating to SNAP.
A violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), as charged in the Criminal Information, carries a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release of up to three years. Restitution is mandatory by law. The Criminal Information also seeks forfeiture of all proceeds of the extortion.
The public is reminded that a Criminal Information merely alleges that crimes have been committed and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Office of the Inspector General of the United States Department of Agriculture. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dave Fulcher.
McComb Man Sentenced for Committing Commercial Driver’s License FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Derrious Emadrick Dillon, 37, of McComb, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge David Bramlette III to two years in prison followed by one year of supervised release for aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Todd Damiani, with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General. Dillon was also ordered to pay a $1500 fine.
Dillon previously worked for a company that provided training and certification to individuals seeking commercial driver’s licenses ("CDLs"). When his employment was terminated in 2014, he continued providing paperwork to those whom wanted a CDL. Dillon obtained a list of authorized CDL instructors and their identification numbers in the State of Mississippi. He used names and identification numbers of those authorized CDL instructors to prepare fraudulent paperwork for individuals seeking CDLs. This fraudulent paperwork would be given to an individual seeking to obtain a CDL in exchange for payment to Dillon. The fraudulent paperwork would be presented by these individuals to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety in order to secure a commercial driver’s license.
Dillon received $200-$400 for each set of fraudulent paperwork. A review of the commercial drivers’ paperwork in Mississippi showed that some of the applicants could not have achieved the results on the paperwork. Some Commercial Driver’s License holders were interviewed and said they had never taken the test and just paid Dillon for the paperwork. Dillon pled guilty on January 9, 2018.
"The sentencing in this investigation underscores the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General's (DOT-OIG) commitment to ensuring the integrity of the Department's commercial driver’s license (CDL) program," stated Todd Damiani, Regional Special Agent-In-Charge at DOT-OIG. "We remain steadfast in our efforts to prevent and detect CDL fraud schemes which endanger the traveling public in the State of Mississippi and throughout the country."
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Transportation-Office of Inspector General, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.
Jackson Man Found Guilty by Federal Jury under Project EJECT for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Terrence Omar Gates, 32, of Jackson, was found guilty this morning by a federal jury for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Jackson Police Chief James E. Davis.
On June 7, 2017, officers with the Jackson Police Department stopped Terrence Omar Gates for traffic violations at the corner of Mill Street and Mitchell Street. While running Gates’ driver’s license, one of the officers observed Gates reaching under the front passenger seat. Gates was ordered to stop reaching and was removed from the vehicle. Officers searched the vehicle and recovered a stolen Taurus pistol, a glass mason jar containing approximately 30 grams of marijuana, and a black digital weighing scale from under the front passenger seat where Gates was reaching. Approximately $6,937.00 wrapped in a rubber band was also recovered from Gates front left pocket.
Gates was previously convicted in the Circuit Court of Davidson County, Tennessee, for the felony offense of Criminal Simulation. He was also convicted in the Circuit Court of Hinds County for felony offenses of Possession of Counterfeit Currency and Grand Larceny.
Gates will be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge William H. Barbour, Jr., on December 18, 2018, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jackson Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Keesha D. Middleton.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together." PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
ATF Hattiesburg Undercover Operation Nets Prison Time for Drug and Illegal Firearms OffendersRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss – Santoria L. French, 41, of Hattiesburg, and Lemont Antoine Jackson, 33, of Jackson, were sentenced yesterday to multiple years in federal prison by District Judge Keith Starrett for federal drug and firearms charges, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
From 2016-2017, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ("ATF") conducted an undercover operation in Hattiesburg targeting persons selling illegal drugs and firearms. Between October 17, 2016 and February 9, 2017, French sold a confidential informant cocaine and firearms on at least 12 different occasions. On July 17, 2018, French pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced yesterday to 4 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
On May 25, 2017, Jackson, three time convicted felon, sold a Yugoslavian 7.62 caliber rifle with two 30-round magazines to an undercover agent for $530. On July 17, 2018, Jackson pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was sentenced yesterday to 86 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Mississippi Entities Receive Federal Grant Funding to Combat Opioid CrisisRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – On the first day of National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it is awarding almost $320 million to combat the opioid crisis in America. This unprecedented funding will directly help those most impacted by the deadliest drug crisis in American history, including crime victims, children, families, and first responders.
In Mississippi, two grant recipients were named:
• The Mississippi State Department of Health was awarded $1 million as part of the "Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program" to help jurisdictions plan and implement programs aimed at reducing opioid abuse and mitigating its impact on crime victims, including training and technical assistance.
• The Rankin County Board of Supervisors was awarded $352,611 under the "Drug Treatments Courts Program - Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Guidelines" to provide service support delivery and programming enhancements aligned with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Guidelines.
"President Trump has made ending the opioid crisis a priority for this administration, and under his leadership, the Department of Justice has taken historic action," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "Today we are announcing our next steps: investing $320 million into all three parts of the President’s comprehensive plan to end the epidemic: prevention, treatment, and enforcement. We are attacking this crisis from every angle—and we will not let up until we bring it to an end."
"This incredible deployment of resources to fight the largest and deadliest drug epidemic of our time is a testament to this Administration’s mission to keep Americans safe. I commend the Mississippi Department of Health and Rankin County for seeking these federal funds in order to tackle this lethal scourge that affects us all. This money will go towards helping Mississippians break their addiction to opioids and assist our youth by giving them the treatment and services they need and deserve," said Mike Hurst, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi.
In 2017, more than 72,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses, an increase from the 64,000 overdose deaths in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority of these deaths can be attributed to opioids, including illicit fentanyl and its analogues. October marks two important anti-drug events: Red Ribbon Week and National Prescription Drug Takeback Day. Red Ribbon Week takes place every year between October 23-31 and encourages students, parents, schools, and communities to promote drug-free lifestyles. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 27 aims to provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent overdose deaths and drug addictions before they start. DOJ expanded on DEA's Drug Takeback Days and collected more than 2.7 million pounds of expired or unused prescription drugs since April 2017.
The Attorney General has been resolute in the fight against the drug crisis in America. The Department assigned more than 300 federal prosecutors to U.S. Attorneys’ offices and hired more than 400 DEA task force officers, announced the formation of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge, a new program to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas, and created a new data analytics program called the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit to assist 12 prosecutors sent to drug "hot spot districts." In addition, the Department charged more than 3,000 defendants with trafficking in heroin, fentanyl, or prescription drugs in FY 2017, announced the first-ever indictments of Chinese nationals for fentanyl trafficking, and scheduled variants of fentanyl to prevent illicit drug labs from circumventing the law. In addition, DOJ executed the largest ever health care fraud enforcement action charging more than 600 defendants and proposed rules consistent with President Trump's "Safe Prescribing Plan," requiring a reduction of ten percent in 2019 in manufacturing quotas. The Department dismantled AlphaBay, the largest criminal marketplace on the Internet and has already generated prosecutions in the fight against online drug trafficking through the Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement Team (J-CODE).
OJP provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has six bureaus and offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking. More information about OJP and its components can be found at: www.ojp.gov
Moss Point Man with 47 Firearms, Silencer and Sawed-Off Rifle Pleads Guilty to Possession of Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – James Hurshell Dugger, 78, of Moss Point, entered a guilty plea Friday, before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, to possession of an unregistered firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Dugger will be sentenced on December 12, 2018, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
On August 11, 2017, deputies with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office responded to Dugger’s home after Dugger shot a man during an altercation. On searching Dugger’s home, deputies found 47 firearms including silencers and a sawed-off rifle. Dugger has prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of unregistered firearms.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
FBI Impersonator Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Troy Graham, 35, of Louisiana, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 229 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for extortion, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a robbery, and possession of a firearm by a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ("ATF"). He was also ordered to pay $12,275 in restitution and a $10,000 fine.
Beginning in January 2017, Graham impersonated a federal agent and demanded drugs and money from a Kiln, Mississippi, marijuana dealer by threatening the dealer with false arrest warrants and imprisonment. Graham required the Kiln victim deliver money, marijuana, guns and other items as "forfeiture" to New Orleans to avoid arrest. Graham also forced the local dealer into contacting his source of supply in California and obtained $72,000 of marijuana. When the California dealer arrived in Hancock County to collect his money, Graham held the dealer at gunpoint demanding money and to know his source of supply. The extortion and robberies were reported to the ATF, who set up a sting operation. While Graham pressed the local dealer for more sources and what he called "forfeiture," ATF posed as a marijuana source from Colorado. ATF arrested Graham in a D’Iberville parking lot when he showed up with a loaded gun to rob the alleged Colorado dealer.
On March 16, 2018, Graham entered guilty pleas to extortion, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a robbery, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Mississippi Nurse Practitioner and Clinic Owner Sentenced to Prison for Role in Compounding Pharmacy Scheme to Defraud TricareRead the Press Release
A Mississippi-based nurse practitioner and former owner of a family health clinic was sentenced to 42 months in prison today for her role in a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs including TRICARE, the health care benefit program serving U.S. military, veterans and their respective family members.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney D. Michael Hurst Jr. of the Southern District of Mississippi; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze of the FBI’s Jackson, Mississippi Field Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Holloman III of IRS Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) New Orleans Field Office and Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Southeast Field Office made the announcement.
Susan K. Perry, 58, of Grand Bay, Alabama, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett of the Southern District of Mississippi, who also ordered Perry to serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence and pay $1,375,692 in restitution. Perry pleaded guilty on June 15 to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. She was charged in October 2017 in a 13-count indictment.
As part of her plea, Perry admitted her role in a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs by prescribing medically unnecessary compounded medications to individuals who did not need the medications, sometimes without first examining those individuals. Perry admitted that she knew that Advantage Pharmacy, based in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, would submit claims for reimbursement to health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, for compounded medications based on the prescriptions she signed, and she further expected that the health care benefit programs would pay the claims. From approximately January 2014 through April 2015, health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, reimbursed Advantage Pharmacy approximately $1,375,692 based on the claims submitted by Advantage Pharmacy in connection with the compounded medications that Perry prescribed.
The FBI, IRS-CI, DCIS, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and other government agencies investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Kate Payerle and Jared Hasten of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Helen Wall of the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.
Mississippi Nurse Practitioner and Clinic Owner Sentenced to Prison for Role in Compounding Pharmacy Scheme to Defraud TricareRead the Press Release
A Mississippi-based nurse practitioner and former owner of a family health clinic was sentenced to 42 months in prison today for her role in a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs including TRICARE, the health care benefit program serving U.S. military, veterans and their respective family members.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney D. Michael Hurst Jr. of the Southern District of Mississippi; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze of the FBI’s Jackson, Mississippi Field Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Holloman III of IRS Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) New Orleans Field Office and Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Southeast Field Office made the announcement.
Susan K. Perry, 58, of Grand Bay, Alabama, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett of the Southern District of Mississippi, who also ordered Perry to serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence and pay $1,375,692 in restitution. Perry pleaded guilty on June 15 to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. She was charged in October 2017 in a 13-count indictment.
As part of her plea, Perry admitted her role in a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs by prescribing medically unnecessary compounded medications to individuals who did not need the medications, sometimes without first examining those individuals. Perry admitted that she knew that Advantage Pharmacy, based in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, would submit claims for reimbursement to health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, for compounded medications based on the prescriptions she signed, and she further expected that the health care benefit programs would pay the claims. From approximately January 2014 through April 2015, health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, reimbursed Advantage Pharmacy approximately $1,375,692 based on the claims submitted by Advantage Pharmacy in connection with the compounded medications that Perry prescribed.
The FBI, IRS-CI, DCIS, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and other government agencies investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Kate Payerle and Jared Hasten of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Helen Wall of the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.
Forest Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine PossessionRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Jimmie Terrell Harrison, 43, of Forest, pleaded guilty yesterday, before U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves, to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
On March 2, 2018, a box shipped via Fed Ex to an address in Forest, Mississippi, was found to have nearly 10 pounds of methamphetamine. The box was delivered to the house next door to Harrison’s. The box was then picked up and brought to Harrison’s house. Agents searched Harrison’s home and found cocaine and two firearms. The methamphetamine recovered was to be distributed in the central Mississippi area.
This case is the result of an extensive Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, dubbed AOperation Highlife,@ which began as an operation targeting illegal narcotics distribution in east central Mississippi area that involved the distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. The distribution network encompasses the states of California, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.
The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle targeted criminal organizations and seize their assets.
"Methamphetamine has devastated countless communities due to the dramatic health and public safety consequences that typically accompany its introduction into an area," said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Jere T. Miles. "Today’s guilty plea stems from an extensive HSI effort with its federal, state and local partners to dismantle a drug trafficking organization that decimated parts of Mississippi and Alabama with methamphetamine smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico. This operation is a testament to the seamless partnership between HSI, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and we are thankful for their assistance as well as the U.S. Attorneys’ to improve the lives of law-abiding residents throughout Mississippi and Alabama."
Harrison will be sentenced on January 9, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.
This case is a result of a joint investigation led by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department, Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department, Neshoba County District Attorney’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Flowood Police Department, Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, Carthage Police Department, Union Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Louisville Police Department, Mississippi Highway Patrol and the United States Marshal Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Chalk is prosecuting the case.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Reentry after RemovalRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Miguel Ayala-Guarchaj, 33, a citizen of Guatemala, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to the felony offense of unlawful reentry by an alien after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, and Gregory K. Bovino, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.
On August 6, 2018, a South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team Agent, who is also a City of Gautier Police Officer, was on duty along Interstate 10 East in Jackson County. The Metro Enforcement Team is an interagency task force that patrols known smuggling routes in Jackson County including I-10. At about 7:45 a.m., the agent stopped a 2015 Toyota Corolla with a fraudulent Texas license paper tag. His training and experience as an interdiction agent led him to believe that he had interrupted an alien smuggling event in progress, and he called the U.S. Border Patrol. Two Border Patrol agents, including a fluent Spanish speaker, responded to the scene and determined that the driver had been a passenger in a vehicle that had recently been stopped by agents on I-10, although no arrests had been made.
Agents also noted multiple indicators that alien smuggling was taking place. Ultimately, the driver was arrested for transporting illegal aliens. His five passengers were arrested for being illegally present in the United States, and all were transported to the Gulfport Border Patrol Station for processing. At the Border Patrol Station, two of the five illegal alien passengers were identified as having been lawfully removed from the United States.
Ayala-Guarchaj was one of those passengers, and was positively identified through Department of Homeland Security computerized record checks including fingerprints and photographs. Using Homeland Security database queries, agents determined that Ayala-Guarchaj, was a citizen of Guatemala and an illegal alien who had been lawfully removed from the United States in 2008. Finally, agents determined that Ayala-Guarchaj had not received permission to reenter to the United States when he illegally returned in 2018.
U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the coordinated work of the United States Border Patrol, the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team and the City of Gautier Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.
Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute MarijuanaRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Lyndell Marcel Pritchard, 30, of Gulfport, formerly of Meridian, entered a guilty plea yesterday before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On January 8, 2018, Gulfport police officers conducted a search of the home where Pritchard lived and found packages containing almost 2 pounds of marijuana along with digital scales. Officers also found a total of eight firearms in the home.
Pritchard will be sentenced by Judge Guirola on December 12, 2018, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Gulfport Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Jackson Woman Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss.—Heather Elizabeth Wright-Beard, 40, of Jackson, was sentenced today by United States Chief District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III, to 70-months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, U.S. Marshal George White, and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On December 2, 2016, while attempting to execute an arrest warrant at the residence of Heather Elizabeth Wright-Beard, deputies with the U.S. Marshal Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force observed a round of shotgun ammunition in plain view on top of a gun safe in a closet adjacent to the kitchen. Since Wright-Beard and her husband are convicted felons and prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition, deputies obtained and executed a search and seizure warrant, recovering a Winchester .22 caliber rifle, a Taurus .22 caliber revolver, and 1,677 rounds of assorted ammunition scattered throughout the residence and garage.
Wright-Beard was convicted previously in the Circuit Court of Rankin County for the felony offense of possession of methamphetamine and possession of cocaine. She was convicted a second time in the Circuit Court of Rankin County for the felony offense of possession of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the U.S. Marshal Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha D. Middleton as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhood.
Business Owners and Corporation Plead Guilty to Immigration CrimesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Cheng Lin, 36, and and his father, Guo Guang Lin, 61, both of Meridian, Mississippi, pled guilty today before U.S. District Court Senior Judge David M. Bramlette III to harboring illegal aliens at their restaurant, China Buffet II, in Meridian, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles and U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Rafiq Ahmad. In addition, Lin’s China Buffett of Meridian, Inc. d/b/a/ China Buffet II also pled guilty to harboring illegal aliens and agreed to two years probation and an immigration compliance program, in addition to forfeiture and a $200,000 fine.
The Defendants will be sentenced by Judge Bramlette on January 8, 2019 at 10:00AM.
"Employing and harboring illegal aliens harms American citizens by stealing jobs and puts business owners who follow the law at a competitive disadvantage. This should serve as a warning to all those who attempt to illegally profit and gain a competitive advantage by violating our immigration laws - you will be prosecuted and punished, and your ill-gotten gains will be forfeited. I commend the prosecutors and agents who worked tirelessly for years to bring these criminals to justice," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
In 2004, Defendant Guo Guang Lin was listed as one of the principal officers of China Buffet of Meridian. In 2011, Guo Guang Lin became the principal officer of the company. In 2014, the company was dissolved and reincorporated as Lin’s China Buffet of Meridian d/b/a China Buffet II, with Gui Guang Lin and Cheng Lin listed as some of the incorporators.
From 2012 through January 2017, HSI agents observed a 15-passenger van registered to China Buffet II making multiple trips to a house owned by China Buffet of Meridian Inc. to pick up illegal aliens living at the house and transport them to the restaurant where they worked, and back to the home.
In January 2013, three illegal aliens were encountered by HSI, two of whom were in a 15-passenger van previously parked at a residence owned by China Buffet where the illegal aliens lived while working at China Buffet.
On February 22, 2017, HSI agents executed a search warrant at China Buffet and encountered 9 illegal aliens. None of them were required to complete any paperwork or show any documents or identification when they were hired as employees, nor were they asked about their immigration status.
Guo Guang Lin was identified by multiple illegal aliens as the driver of the passenger van between the home housing the illegal aliens and the business. Guo Guang Lin was also identified by illegal aliens as a cook at the restaurant. When Cheng Lin was interviewed, he admitted that the employees he paid in cash lived at the house owned by China Buffet II, while the hostess was paid via check. A monthly payroll ledger discovered during the search confirmed illegal employee names, dates worked, amounts paid and other information from July 2013 through January 2017. This ledger was separate from the payroll records for legal employees. It was also discovered through the investigation that China Buffet II omitted wages for their illegal employees when sending payroll records to their accountant in New York. The defendants also failed to withhold and pay federal income taxes on these illegal aliens, failed to prepare I-9 Forms, and failed to report wages to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security or the Internal Revenue Service.
In 2007, HSI arrested numerous illegal aliens employed at a restaurant owned by Cheng Lin in New Orleans. Cheng Lin admitted to paying employees in cash, and that employees were provided lodging, transportation and meals at no expenses. Lin was fined $23,250 for I-9 violations.
The defendants agreed to the following forfeiture amounts resulting from seizures by HSI agents during execution of the search warrant on February 22, 2017:
$437,046 cash seized from safe deposit box number at Citizen’s National Bank;
$106,000 cash in lieu of house owned by the corporation used to house illegal aliens;
$86,070 cash seized from Defendant Cheng Lin’s home;
$68,124.00 cash seized at the China Buffet II Restaurant;
$34,212.94 held at Citizens National Bank in the name of Lin’s China Buffet of Meridian, Inc
Insurance payments or proceeds relating to the 2007 Ford E-350 van, VIN x-8040;
The case was investigated and indicted by Assistant United States Attorneys Glenda Haynes and Dave Fulcher. It is currently being prosecuted by United States Attorney Mike Hurst.
Former United States Geological Survey Contract Specialist Sentenced for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Matthew Wathen, 49, of Michigan, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to five years probation for theft of government funds, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Michael Graziano, with the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Office of Inspector General (OIG). The Court ordered Wathen to pay restitution in the amount of $26,350.
Wathen, a former Contract Specialist for the DOI’s United States Geological Survey, embezzled approximately $29,092 through unauthorized personal use of his government charge card, including weekly lodging, monthly rental cars, dining, gasoline, vacations, and other expenses.
The case was investigated by the DOI-OIG Eastern Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shundral H. Cole.
Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Courtny Orlando Campbell, 27, of Philadelphia, pled guilty today before Chief United States District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
On February 2, 2017, Agents with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics stopped a vehicle driven by Campbell. As Campbell stopped his car, he jumped out and took off running. He was caught a short distance away. Agents found a bag that Campbell tossed as he ran and found methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and a set of digital scales. The case is the result of an extensive Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, dubbed "Operation Highlife," which began as an operation targeting illegal narcotics distribution in East Central Mississippi that involved the distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. The distribution network encompasses the States of California, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.
“Methamphetamine has devastated countless communities due to the dramatic health and public safety consequences that typically accompany its introduction into an area,” said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Jere T. Miles. “Today’s guilty plea stems from an extensive HSI effort with its federal, state and local partners to dismantle a drug trafficking organization that decimated parts of Mississippi and Alabama with methamphetamine smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico. This operation is a testament to the seamless partnership between HSI, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and we are thankful for their assistance as well as the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to improve the lives of law-abiding residents throughout Mississippi and Alabama.”
Campbell will be sentenced by Judge Jordan on January 11, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of Life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.
The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
This OCDETF case is a result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. Assisting agencies include the Philadelphia Police Department, Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department, Neshoba County District Attorney’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Flowood Police Department, Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, Carthage Police Department, Union Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Louisville Police Department, Mississippi Highway Patrol, United States Attorney's Office Southern District of Mississippi and the United States Marshal’s Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Chalk is prosecuting the case.
Oakland Man Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Michael Maes, age 30, of Oakland, California was found guilty today on 8 of 9 charges of distribution of methamphetamine and money laundering after a three and a half day jury trial in front of U.S. District Judge Halil Sul Ozerden, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and HSI Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles and DEA Special Agent in Charge Derryle Smith.
Between June 2016 and February 2017, Maes was sending packages of methamphetamine to addresses in Slidell, Louisiana for distribution in the Southern District of Mississippi. The individuals distributing that methamphetamine would then deposit proceeds from those sales into Wells Fargo accounts in Biloxi and Gulfport at Maes’s direction. All of the individuals distributingmethamphetamine on the Mississippi Coast had previously pled guilty to their activities. The jury, after several hours of deliberation, found him guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, attempt to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to commit money laundering and five specific acts of money laundering. He was acquitted of one specific act of money laundering.
Maes will be sentenced on December 13, 2018, by Judge Ozerden, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Meynardie and Kathlyn Van Buskirk.
Louisville Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Tray Beamon, 32, of Louisville, pled guilty today before Chief United States District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
On August 31, 2017, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Beamon’s residence. During the search, agents found 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, 30 pounds of marijuana, and 3 firearms. The case is the result of an extensive Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, dubbed AOperation Highlife,@ which began as an operation targeting illegal narcotics distribution in east central Mississippi area that involved the distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. The distribution network encompasses the States of California, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.
"Methamphetamine has devastated countless communities due to the dramatic health and public safety consequences that typically accompany its introduction into an area," said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Jere T. Miles. "Today’s guilty plea stems from an extensive HSI effort with its federal, state and local partners to dismantle a drug trafficking organization that decimated parts of Mississippi and Alabama with methamphetamine smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico. This operation is a testament to the seamless partnership between HSI, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and we are thankful for their assistance as well as the U.S. Attorneys’ to improve the lives of law-abiding residents throughout Mississippi and Alabama."
Beamon will be sentenced by Judge Jordan on December 21, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of Life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.
The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug
trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
This OCDETF case is a result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. Assisting agencies include the Philadelphia Police Department, Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department, Neshoba County District Attorney’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Flowood Police Department, Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, Carthage Police Department, Union Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Louisville Police Department, Mississippi Highway Patrol, United States Attorney=s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and the United States Marshal’s Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Chalk is prosecuting the case.
Another Pharmacist Pleads Guilty Relating to Largest Health Care Fraud Case Ever in MississippiRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Marco Bisa Hawkins Moran, 45, of Raymond, pled guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to a Criminal Information outlining his role in a more than $22 million dollar scheme to defraud TRICARE, the health care benefit program serving our nation’s military, veterans, and their respective family members, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze, IRS-Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas Jay Holloman, III, and Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Southeast Field Office.
Spell will be sentenced by Judge Starrett on November 27, 2018, at 9:45 a.m.
From approximately May 2014 through January 2016, Moran co-owned and operated Medworx Compounding, LLC inMadison County, Mississippi, and Custom Care Pharmacy, LLC in Hinds County, Mississippi. During this time, Moran and other co-conspirators mass-produced high-yield compounded medications on behalf of the pharmacies. Rather than formulating compounded medications based on the individualized needs of patients, formulas were selected to maximize profit based upon reimbursements from TRICARE and other health care benefit programs.
Moran’s pharmacies submitted fraudulent claims to TRICARE and other health care benefit programs. In order to further their scheme, Moran and his co-conspirators took measures to conceal their waiver of beneficiary copayments from TRICARE and other health care benefit programs. Acting on behalf of Medworx and Custom Care, Moran and his co-conspirators paid kickbacks and bribes to marketers and physicians in order to obtain prescriptions for compounded medications from prescribers for beneficiaries who were covered by the most lucrative health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, irrespective of whether the compounded medications were medically necessary for the treatment of beneficiaries.
As a result of this fraudulent activity, Medworx and Custom Care submitted fraudulent claims to TRICARE and other health care benefit programs totaling approximately $22,068,144.00.
This case has been designated as a related prosecution to cases charged earlier this year in the Southern District of Mississippi. Thomas Edward Spell, Jr., a licensed pharmacist, pled guilty on August 9, 2018, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud regarding a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, of more than $243 million. To date, a total of 12 people have been charged and 9 convicted in the compounding pharmacy scheme in the Southern
District of Mississippi. The investigation is ongoing and prosecutions are occurring nationwide to include California, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Connecticut.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mary Helen Wall and U.S. Department of Justice trial attorneys Katherine Payerle and Sean Welsh.
U.s. Attorney, Jackson County Sheriff, and Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement Announce Significant Operation on Gulf CoastRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – This week, federal, state and local law enforcement on the Mississippi Gulf Coast are executing numerous arrest warrants in and around Jackson County, including a number of individuals indicted and arrested on federal criminal charges, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell.
Over the last 13 months, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") has led a multi-agency investigation with the South Mississippi Metropolitan Enforcement Team and the Federal Bureau of investigation‘s Safe Street Task Force, focusing on career criminal offenders, armed narcotics traffickers, and documented gang members in and around Moss Point and Pascagoula. This investigation involved over thirty (30) controlled purchases of illegal firearms and/or narcotics, targeted follow-ups and interviews driven by and based upon intelligence and evidence gathered, and coordination prosecutors and officers to prioritize and marshal resources towards the worst criminal offenders in these communities.
This collaborative effort has resulted in the indictment by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of 17 defendants on gun charges, half of whom have already pled guilty or have indicated they will be pleading guilty.
Ninety-seven (97) illegal firearms were purchased or seized in this initiative, including a firearm that had been stolen out of a marked police car. Twenty (20) of these illegal firearms were either reported stolen or had obliterated serial numbers.
"The arrests this week are the result of months of hard work by special agents, officers, and prosecutors to take violent criminals off our streets and put them in jail where they belong. Today’s announcement, coupled with the significant increase in the number of indictments throughout the Southern District Mississippi, should serve as warning to criminals on the Coast and throughout Mississippi – you will be caught, you will be prosecuted, and you will be punished for your crimes. You can expect to see a lot more of us in the coming months, as we expand our crime fighting efforts, help law-abiding citizens take back their communities and make the Coast safe again," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
The South Mississippi Metropolitan Enforcement Team is a partnership between the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the police departments of the cities of Moss Point, Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, and Gautier, with the goal to eliminate illegal narcotics from Jackson
County by investigating complaints of illegal narcotics activity, arresting illegal narcotics offenders and aid in the criminal prosecution of these offenders.
The FBI Safe Streets Task Force is a Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area initiative and receives funding from the Office of National Drug Control Policy in Washington, D.C. It is made up of special agents from the FBI and law enforcement officers from the Pascagoula, Moss Point, Gautier and Ocean Springs Police Departments, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Border Patrol.
Two Louisiana Men Sentenced for Smuggling Live White-Tailed Deer into MississippiRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Edward L. Donaldson Jr., 75, and John Jared Oertling, 42, both residents of Pearl River, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, were sentenced in Hattiesburg Tuesday on charges of conspiring to smuggle live white-tailed deer into Mississippi, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Luis Santiago of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement.
United States District Judge Keith Starrett sentenced Donaldson and Oertling each to three years of probation, a fine of $10,000, and a worldwide prohibition from hunting of any type for one year. Oertling was also sentenced to serve 6 months of house arrest under location monitoring. Judge Starrett further ordered that the 1,031 acre high-fenced enclosure, known as Turkey Trot, and owned by Donaldson’s daughter and Oertling’s wife, is to be quarantined by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks for 5 years and the white-tailed deer inside are to be subjected to testing for chronic wasting disease paid for by Donaldson and Oertling in the amount of $120,000.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent in Charge Luis Santiago stated: "We take our mission working with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks and the citizens of Mississippi in conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats very seriously. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, considers the potential spread of disease caused by the illegal commercialization of wildlife resources a high priority, and we will continue to work closely with our State partners to assist them in these important investigations."
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Darren J. LaMarca and Dave Fulcher.
Hattiesburg Woman Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Shareka Holmes, 28, of Hattiesburg, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to serve 60 months in federal prison, followed by 7 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derryle Smith with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Holmes was also ordered to pay a $40,000 fine.
On August 8, 2017, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics agents intercepted a package at the Federal Express in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Based on training and experience, agents believed the package contained illegal narcotics and obtained a search warrant based on probable cause. Once the search warrant was obtained, agents opened the package and discovered approximately 1,993.6 grams of methamphetamine.
The package was addressed to a residence in Hattiesburg. Agents conducted a controlled delivery and placed the package on the front porch of the recipient address and set up surveillance on the residence and package. A female later identified as Holmes, arrived at the residence, retrieved the package and placed it on the driver’s seat of a Cadillac Escalade. The Escalade belonged to Darrion Jones. Holmes locked the door to the Escalade and left the residence in her vehicle.
Agents followed Holmes and subsequently made contact with her at her residence. Agents asked for consent to search the residence to which Holmes gave written consent. During the search of the residence, agents recovered approximately 860 grams of methamphetamine. Holmes was subsequently arrested and charged. She pled guilty on April 30, 2018. Darrion Jones was sentenced by Judge Starrett on September 6, 2018, to 25 years in federal prison for his role in a related drug trafficking conspiracy.
The case was investigated by the Lamar County Sheriff’s Department, Jones County Sheriff’s Department, Forrest County Sheriff’s Department, Hattiesburg Police Department, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shundral H. Cole.
Bassfield Man Pleads Guilty to Bomb Threat Against Veterans Nursing HomeRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Terry L. Magee, 38, of Bassfield, pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to threatening to bomb the Veterans Administration Nursing Home in Collins, Mississippi, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge James Ross with the Veterans Administration - Office of Inspector General.
On February 17, 2018, Magee called the main phone line at the Veterans Administration Nursing Home in Collins and told the person who answered the phone that he was going to blow the place up. Magee was indicted on May 2, 2018.
"These charges underscore the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s commitment to the safety of the Veteran Affairs’ patient population, as well as its employees, guests, and facilities," said VA OIG Special Agent in Charge James Ross.
Magee will be sentenced by Judge Starrett on November 27, 2018, at 9:30 a.m., and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Veterans Administration - Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force, Mississippi Homeland Security, and the City of Collins Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Chalk is prosecuting the case.
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT to Illegally Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Hendricus Tyronyae Parker, 38, of Jackson, pled guilty Friday before U.S. Chief District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III, to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On June 22, 2018, the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force executed a warrant for the arrest of Hendricus Parker at an apartment in Jackson. While inside the apartment, law enforcement discovered Hendricus Parker, a convicted felon, possessed three loaded firearms. Parker admitted all three weapons belonged to him. Parker has three prior felony convictions out of Madison County for drug-related offenses.
Parker will be sentenced on December 7, 2018, by Judge Jordan, and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Purdie.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together." PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
New York Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Horace M. Rutledge, Jr., 44, of New York City, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to the maximum 120 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.
Beginning in August 2017, the Drug Enforcement Administration, utilizing a confidential informant, scheduled a reverse sting drug sale with Rutledge. Rutledge traveled to Gulfport in order to provide partial payment money while co-defendant Damien Pinckney wired funds to Gulfport at the same time. On September 23, 2017, Rutledge and Pinckney traveled along with two others in two cars from South Carolina to Gulfport to complete the purchase with more cash and three firearms – a 50 caliber gun along with two rifles. Rutledge was arrested and the cash and firearms seized. The ATF continued the investigation into Pinckney. Through phone records, witness statements in South Carolina, money transfer records and the car rented by Pinckney, ATF obtained charges against Pinckney, who was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison. Rutledge has prior felony assault, resisting arrest, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal sale of a firearm, all in New York and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Cuban Man Sentenced for Human SmugglingRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Carlos Manuel Legra-Ramirez, 43, a citizen of Cuba and a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States living in Georgia, was sentenced Friday by U.S District Court Judge Sul Ozerden to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens within the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Jere T. Miles, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, and Gregory K. Bovino, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector.
Legra-Ramirez was also ordered to pay $3,100 in fines and special assessment. He pled guilty before Judge Ozerden on June 1, 2018.
On February 6, 2018, on Interstate 10 in Harrison County, the United States Border Patrol conducted a traffic stop of a Toyota Highlander Sport Utility Vehicle ("SUV") displaying a Georgia license plate registered to Legra-Ramirez. The SUV contained 10 illegal aliens, for a total of eleven occupants (including the driver), even though the SUV only had seatbelts to lawfully seat seven occupants. Legra-Ramirez was the driver of the vehicle. Further investigation also revealed that on August 31, 2013, Legra-Ramirez had been stopped on I-10 near Lake City, Florida, driving a vehicle with 6 illegal alien passengers.
After interviewing the passengers in Legra-Ramirez’s vehicle on February 6, 2018, all claimed to be citizens and nationals of other countries illegally present in the United States. Legra-Ramirez, and all passengers were arrested and transported to the Gulfport Border Patrol Station.
U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris was the prosecutor for the case.
Laurel Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug PossessionRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Cedric Walker, 30, of Laurel, Mississippi, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett, to serve 120 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derryle Smith with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Walker was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Jones County Sheriff’s Department, Lamar County Sheriff’s Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shundral H. Cole.
Illegal Alien Sentenced for ATM Skimmer FraudRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Claudio Fontes Ferreira a/k/a Michael Camargo Stanford, 31, an illegal alien from Brazil, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to serve 39 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for fraud in connection with access devices, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst. Ferreira was also ordered to pay $46,265 in restitution to a victim.
On December 7, 2017, D’Iberville police officers saw a Lincoln Navigator leaving the Keesler Federal Credit Union Automated Teller Machine ("ATM") on Automall Parkway in D’Iberville, Mississippi. This automobile fit the description of one being used the night before in placing access devices, "skimmers," on an ATM in Gulfport. The officers stopped the vehicle and identified Ferreira and two co-defendants as the occupants. In the Navigator officers found glue, black electrical and double-sided tape, box cutters, credit cards in alias names, a card with sand paper attached to it, other credit cards, gift cards, and a micro SD card. Officers also found the ATM with a skimmer on it and altered with the privacy shield cut off so that a camera placed above could see the ATM key pad as customers enter their account PIN numbers.
Co-defendant Taise Braganca Moscon, 26, also an illegal alien from Brazil, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on June 11, 2018, to serve 13 months in federal prison for possession of device-making equipment. Co-defendant Rodrigo D. Ferrareze, 37, of Delray Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on June 18, 2018, to serve 10 months in federal prison for possession of device-making equipment.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the D’Iberville Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones.
Dexter Jones Sentenced to Life in Prison and Darrion Jones Sentenced to 25 Years in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss – Dexter Jones, 42, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and Darrion Jones, 33, of Heidelburg, Mississippi, were sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derryle Smith with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Dexter Jones was sentenced to serve life in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, while Darrion Jones was sentenced to serve 300 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Dexter Jones was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine and Darrion Jones was ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.
An investigation of Dexter Jones’s drug trafficking activity began in 2015 based on information from a confidential source. The investigation revealed that Dexter Jones, Darrion Jones, and several other individuals were distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in the Hattiesburg and Laurel, Mississippi areas. Also indicted in the drug trafficking conspiracy were Jamie Wheat, John Foster, Mitchell Jones, and John Baxter. Wheat pled guilty and was sentenced to 188 months; John Foster pled guilty and will be sentenced on September 18, 2018; Mitchell Jones pled guilty and will be sentenced on September 27, 2018. Baxter’s case is still pending.
The case was investigated by the Lamar County Sheriff’s Department, Jones County Sheriff’s Department, Forrest County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shundral H. Cole.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to over Six Years in Prison for Possession of Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Ulric S. Crossland, 27, of Hattiesburg, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to a term of 78 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession of two stolen firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crossland was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. He pled guilty before Judge Starrett on May 14, 2018.
On July 17, 2017, in Lamar County, Mississippi, law enforcement officers conducted a search of Crossland’s apartment. In his apartment, officers found Crossland in possession of a Romarm/Cugir 7.62x39 mm caliber rifle (with a high capacity magazine), a Taurus 9mm pistol, and a Glock .40 caliber pistol. Both the Taurus and Glock pistols were stolen. On November 2, 2017, in Forrest County, Mississippi, law enforcement officers again found Crossland in possession of a Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol. Crossland was previously convicted of possessing a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Southeast Mississippi Safe Streets Task Force, which consists of FBI agents and officers from the Mississippi State Auditor’s office, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Hattiesburg Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris.
Texas Man Sentenced for his Involvement in Multi-Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. - Jose Luis Chavez a/k/a "Big Head," 47, of Edinburg, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 143 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine, 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, and 100 grams or more of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derryle Smith with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Chavez was also ordered to pay a $15,000 fine.
In March 2016, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration opened an investigation into the drug trafficking organization of Chavez. Agents learned and confirmed Chavez was a major source of supply of cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and heroin for the Mississippi Gulf Coast. With the help of at least three others, Chavez conspired to traffic these narcotics from Texas to Mississippi. Agents arrested Chavez in Texas, and brought him to Mississippi for prosecution. Chavez pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge on January 26, 2018.
The case was investigated by the DEA and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk.
Jackson Man Sentenced to over Four Years in Federal Prison under Project EJECTRead the Press Release
Jackson, Mississippi – Jeremy Jerome Fletcher, 28, of Jackson, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Tom S. Lee, to 51 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
On or about December 13, 2017, officers of the Jackson Police Department conducted a traffic stop on Highway 80 near Valley Street in Jackson, Mississippi, of a vehicle occupied by three (3) individuals. The front seat passenger was Jeremy Jerome Fletcher. Upon running a check, it was determined that the driver had active warrants out of Carroll County and both Fletcher and the rear passenger had warrants for traffic violations. All were arrested and an inventory of the vehicle revealed a loaded .22 caliber revolver inside a yellow towel underneath the front passenger seat. Fletcher gave a confession that the .22 caliber revolver was his. He further stated he purchased it approximately one month prior for $65.00.
Fletcher was previously convicted of robbery in 2017 in the Circuit Court of Rankin County, Mississippi. He was on probation at the time of this offense.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Keesha D. Middleton.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together." PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Father and Son Plead Guilty in Large Scale Vehicle Odometer Roll Back SchemeRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Mark Longgrear, 53, of Jackson, and his son, Zachary Longgrear, 29, of Madison, both pled guilty before United States District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to conspiring to reset and alter the odometers of motor vehicles and to giving or causing to be given false statements relating to odometers, announced United States Attorney Mike Hurst and Deputy Administrator Heidi King with the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Mark Longgrear also pled guilty to six counts of securities fraud.
From 2014 through at least February 2018, Mark Longgrear, along with his son, Zachary Longgrear, both individually and under their company Southern Auto Buyers LLC, bought a large number of late model, high mileage vehicles from numerous sources, and thereafter illegally altered the odometers of these vehicles to show lower mileage. In furtherance of the conspiracy, the defendants forged and fraudulently created paperwork to secure new titles showing false lower mileage on these vehicles, and then sold the vehicles directly to individuals and automobile dealerships at much higher prices. Some of these rolled-back vehicles were subsequently sold by the dealerships to consumers in Mississippi and elsewhere.
Judge Reeves set sentencing for December 12, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. The count of conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Each securities fraud violation carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Restitution may also be ordered.
“Odometer fraud costs American consumers more than $1 billion annually, said NHTSA Deputy Administrator King. “We will continue to work with Department of Justice and state DOT partners to investigate odometer fraud, deter tampering, and inform consumers of the potential signs and dangers associated with this crime.”
NHTSA has established a special hotline to handle odometer fraud complaints. Individuals who have information relating to odometer tampering should call (800) 424-9393 or (202) 366-4761. Individuals can also file a complaint online at www.NHTSA.gov/Equpment/Odometer-Fraud.
The case is the result of an investigation by the United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation, with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Keesha Middleton.
Scott County Hunters Plead Guilty, Sentenced for Hunting Doves over Baited FieldRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Eleven hunters pled guilty last week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda Anderson to federal charges of hunting mourning dove over a baited field in Scott County last September, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.
On September 2, 2017, agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found eleven men hunting mourning dove over a field in Scott County, Mississippi, that had been baited with cracked corn, millet and rice. The field had been under surveillance after having been previously identified as illegally baited for purposes of hunting mourning dove.
The following individuals pled guilty to hunting over a baited field: Richard Carl Boozer, 38, of Morton; George Mitchell Davis, 38, of Brandon; James Nicholas Davis, 34, of Forest; Dink Rainey Gibson IV, 38, of Morton; John Nick Harrison, 34, of Brandon; Mark Edward Holifield, 52, of Raleigh; Michael L. Parks, 61, of Brandon; Hiram Luther Richardson, 35, of Morton; Justin Cochran Russell, 37, of Forest; Preston Lamar Woods, 38, of Forest; and Roger Douglas Woods, 65, of Forest. They were each sentenced to a one year term of probation, during which time they forfeit their right to hunt anywhere in the world, and a $600 fine.
Additionally, Dink Rainey Gibson IV pled guilty to illegally placing the bait on the field and was ordered to pay an additional fine of $2,400 and serve two years of probation. Justin Cochran Russell pled guilty to hunting without a license and was ordered to pay an additional $600 fine. Richard Carl Boozer pled guilty to hunting migratory birds with a shotgun capable of holding more than three shotgun shells and was sentenced to pay an additional $600 fine.
All eleven defendants were charged under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, a federal law that regulates the hunting of migratory birds. Hunting over a baited field carries a maximum possible sentence of up to six months in prison and up to a $15,000 fine. Placement of bait carries a maximum possible sentence of up to one year in prison and up to a $100,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dave Fulcher.
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT to Illegally Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Loucious Collins, 37, of Jackson, pled guilty yesterday before United States District Judge David Bramlette III to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
On June 8, 2017, the FBI and the Mississippi Gaming Commission assisted Mississippi Alcoholic Beverage Control with executing a search warrant at V Live Club in Jackson. While inside the club, law enforcement discovered that Loucious Collins, a convicted felon, possessed a gun inside his pants pocket. Collins has several previous felony convictions, including multiple convictions for house and business burglary.
Collins will be sentenced in Jackson by Judge Bramlette on November 27, 2018, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mississippi Gaming Commission, and the Mississippi Alcoholic Beverage Control. It is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together." PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
U.S. Attorney Hurst commended the work of the local law enforcement and their cooperation with FBI agents and Project EJECT task force members in the investigation of this case.
Federal Jury Finds Jackson Man Guilty of Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Jeremy T. Walker, 33, of Jackson, was found guilty Tuesday, after a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge William H. Barbour, Jr., of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Dana Nichols, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives.
On February 5, 2013, the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force of the United States Marshal’s Service was serving an outstanding Hinds County arrest warrant on Walker. He was arrested in a home located on Belvedere Road in Jackson, Mississippi. An AK-style firearm was recovered from the residence along with a 30 round magazine. The firearm was found to have an obliterated serial number. The defendant was previously convicted in Hinds County for Possession of a Controlled Substance in 2010.
On September 9, 2014, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Walker with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The defendant was arrested by the United States Marshal Service on April 11, 2018, after being a fugitive.
Walker is scheduled to be sentenced on November 27, 2018 at 11:00 am and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshal Service, and the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Chalk and Kimberly Purdie.
D’Iberville Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Dung Anh Nguyen, 35, of D’Iberville, entered a guilty plea today before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Nguyen faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the drug charge and a minimum of 5 years for the firearm charge. He further faces fines up to $250,000 along with 3 years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for November 27, 2018, at 10:00 a.m.
After receiving a tip that drugs were being sold out of a D’Iberville home, Harrison County Coastal Narcotics Enforcement Team, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, served a search warrant on Nguyen’s home in March 2018. Agents found approximately 2 kilograms of marijuana, along with several loaded firearms, large capacity magazines, ammunition and a ballistic vest. Nguyen was previously convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in Texas and Harrison County courts.
The Harrison County Sheriff’s Department Coastal Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The case is prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
U.S. Attorney’s Office and Law Enforcement Partners Postpone Tonight’s Town Hall Meeting at Medgar Evers Library Regarding Project EJECTRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – The United States Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners are postponing tonight’s scheduled town hall meeting at Medgar Evers Library in Jackson to discuss Project EJECT, as the local councilman for the Ward recently noted that he has a conflict with the timing of tonight’s Jackson City Council meeting and several law enforcement partners are now unavailable to attend, announced United States Attorney Mike Hurst.
The town hall meetings held by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners to explain the good work being done under Project EJECT to combat crime have solicited valuable input directly from citizens that will ultimately make Jackson safer and its citizens more secure.
"Working with our law enforcement partners under Project EJECT here in the City of Jackson, we have already been successful in reducing violent crime in the City of Jackson by almost 20% from just this time last year. I commend the Jackson Police Department, our federal and state law enforcement agents and officers, and our local and federal prosecutors for taking the fight to the criminals and protecting law-abiding citizens. We will continue this fight together to make Jackson safer for everyone, and we will only continue to be successful with involvement and cooperation from our communities and our residents," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
Project EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness, under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods ("PSN"). PSN is program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Since announcing Project EJECT in December 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Jackson Police Department, and agents and task force officers from various federal and state law enforcement agencies, have indicted over 80 individuals for federal crimes ranging from carjacking to illegally possessing firearms to business robberies to drugs. Of those individuals whom have been arrested and are being prosecuted, approximately 97% have been detained while awaiting trial, and 40 have either pled or been found guilty of committing federal crimes. For those whom have been convicted and sentenced, the average sentence thus far for crimes prosecuted under Project EJECT is over 6 years in federal prison.
Texas Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Arlene Viridiana Moya, 23, of Texas, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge William H. Barbour to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Field Office.
On January 22, 2018, a Rankin County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a vehicle driven by Moya for a traffic violation. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 16 kilograms or 35 pounds of methamphetamine from the vehicle’s fuel tank.
Moya will be sentenced by Judge Barbour on November 27, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison followed by a $10,000,000 fine.
The case was a joint investigation by the Rankin County Sherriff’s Office, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE/HSI) Jackson, MS office, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Wansley.
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft and Falsely Using the Identity of a Veteran to Receive Government BenefitsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Tierun Bush, 56, of Jackson, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee to one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of theft of government funds and property, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.
From 2005 to 2018, Tierun Bush used the name, social security number and other identifiers of a U.S. military veteran to fraudulently receive medical care, narcotics, medical equipment and financial assistance with the cost of housing from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Bush, who is not a military veteran, was a long time patient at the G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery VA Medical Center in Jackson under the name of the victim whose identity he stole. When first approached by agents from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Bush provided the name of the victim as his own, but quickly confessed when told that the agents had already interviewed the victim, who lives out of state. As a result of his fraudulent use of the identity of a veteran, Bush was able to obtain goods and services from the government valued at over $133,000.
Bush will be sentenced by Judge Lee on November 29, 2018, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for theft of government funds, and a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, which, by law, must be served consecutive to the term of imprisonment for theft of government funds. Restitution is mandatory under federal law.
The case was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dave Fulcher
Pearlington Man Sentenced to 220 Months in Prison for Drug and Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Jonathan Jarvis, 30, of Pearlington, Mississippi, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to serve 160 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and 60 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm in futherance of a drug trafficking crime, followed by 5 years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derryle Smith with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Judge Ozerden ordered the sentences to run consecutive for a total of 220 months with the probation to run concurrently. Jarvis was also ordered to pay a $7,500 fine.
On October 24, 2017, a Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol Trooper stopped a 2006 Chevrolet Impala on Interstate 10 for a traffic violation. The trooper identified the driver as Jonathan Jarvis and the passenger as Aaliyah Williamson. The trooper found hidden on Williamson 247 grams of methamphetamine. In the vehicle, he found Alprazolam, Acetaminophen/Oxycodone, marijuana, promethazine syrup, digital scales, plastic baggies, two cell phones, and a stolen Smith and Wesson pistol.
Jarvis pled guilty on May 5, 2018. Williamson pled guilty on May 11, 2018, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a stolen firearm, and will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on November 18, 2018.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shundral H. Cole.
Gun Trafficker Sentenced to 10 years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Damien S. Pinckney, 36, of Goose Creek, South Carolina, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to the maximum penalty of 120 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He was also ordered to pay an $8,000 fine.
Pinckney and a co-conspirator offered to trade money and high-caliber firearms for drugs to take back to South Carolina from Gulfport, Mississippi. During the transaction in Gulfport, agents seized the money and firearms offered by Pinckney and his co-conspirator. Pinckney, who has prior felony drug convictions in South Carolina, was subsequently arrested and convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty to Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Ronald David Barker, 40, of Gulfport, entered a guilty plea today before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Barker faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the firearm charge. He further faces fines of up to $250,000 along with 3 years of supervised release. He will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on December 3, 2018, at 10:00 a.m.
Barker was previously convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking in 2008, in New Orleans. On December 30, 2016, Barker pawned a rifle in Harrison County, Mississippi. On January 4, 2017, the owner noticed the firearm was missing and reported it stolen. Harrison County Sheriff’s Department enforcement discovered Barker had pawned it and that he was a convicted felon on supervised release for his prior felony.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty to Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Keith Bernard Gardner, 24, of Gulfport, entered a guilty plea today before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Gardner faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the firearm charge. He further faces fines of up to $250,000 along with three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on December 6, 2018, at 9:00 a.m.
Gardner was convicted in Harrison County Circuit Court in 2014 of transfer of a controlled substance. On November 26, 2016, Gulfport Police responded to an apartment parking lot for shots fired. They found Gardner and others in a car with the obvious smell of marijuana. On searching the car, police found cocaine, marijuana, digital scales and two hand guns. Gardner admitted a Ruger pistol with an obliterated serial number was his.
The Gulfport Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Jackson Man Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison under Project EJECTRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Marcus Reese, 38, of Jackson, was sentenced today, by United States District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III, to 57 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Reese was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.
In September 2016, Reese was arrested for selling illegal drugs and possessing drug paraphernalia and drug proceeds. He spent only a few days in jail before being released on bond.
Within months, in February 2017, Reese was again arrested for selling illegal drugs from his home. Both illegal drugs and a loaded pistol were found in his living room. He again spent only a few days in jail before being released on bond.
Not long after, in September 2017, law enforcement officers attempted to execute a search warrant at Reese’s apartment on O’Bannon Street due to continuing illegal drug activity. As officers approached the apartment, Reese fled on foot through his apartment and out the back door. Officers ultimately stopped Reese and arrested him. Reese had a loaded Taurus .357 revolver and additional rounds of ammunition in his pants pocket. He had illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, and several thousand dollars in drug proceeds and counterfeit money in his home. Officers also collected ammunition and illegal drugs from Reese’s car, a vehicle from which he sold illegal drugs.
Reese has a previous conviction in Hinds County, Mississippi, for the felony offense of conspiracy to commit murder.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Jackson Police Department. It is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together." PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated
PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
U.S. Attorney Hurst commended the work of the Jackson Police Department and their cooperation with ATF agents and Project EJECT task force members in the investigation of this case.