Former state Sen. Philip Moran and his son get prison sentences for bribery and conspiracy convictions
By Margaret Baker, Sun Herald | Originally published by Mississippi Today
Former Mississippi state Sen. Philip Moran and his son, former Diamondhead City Council Member Alan Moran, were sentenced to prison Wednesday in Hancock County Circuit Court after they were convicted of bribery and conspiracy.
Philip Moran, 65, was sentenced to the maximum 15 years in prison for bribery and the maximum five years for conspiracy, with the sentences running consecutively. Judge Christopher Schmidt ordered Philip Moran to spend 12 of those years in prison, with the remainder of the time on post-release supervision.
Alan Moran, 38, was already a convicted sex offender. He received the maximum sentence for bribery and conspiracy, to run consecutively. The judge suspended all but 10 years of his new prison term, with the remainder of that time served under post-release supervision. That sentence will run consecutive to the 12-year sentence Alan Moran is already serving for child exploitation.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Burrell asked the judge to impose the maximum sentences on both counts to run consecutively.
“One of the foundations of our criminal justice system is that the law is applied equally regardless of age, race, or economic status,” Burrell said.
“The defendants’ actions in this case attempted to violate and shake that foundation and try to call into question the integrity of our justice system,” he said. “They believe that their money, power, and privilege created an exception for them. They believe that their money and influence can buy their way out of trouble. That simply cannot stand in our justice system.”
In addition, Burrell pointed out that the Morans’ actions led to the conviction of two other co-defendants, whom the father and son used as “pawns” to carry out the crime. Burrell was referring to Jeremy Billings and Ian Schexnayder, who have pleaded guilty to bribery and are awaiting sentencing.
At the Morans’ sentencings, over 20 people showed up to support the father and son, including Sheila Moran, who is the wife of Philip and mother of Alan. Defense Attorney Donald Rafferty spoke on Alan Moran’s behalf. Alan Moran tearfully offered a few comments, claiming his dad’s innocence in the crime and asking for leniency for himself, so that he one day could return to be a husband and father to his two children, ages 2 and 4.
“My client is sincerely and deeply sorry for the pain, the agony and the burden that he has put on his family, his father, his mother, and his wife and his children,” Rafferty said.
“Unfortunately, a man’s improper actions can hurt the ones he loves, and in this case he did, but he also wants me to make it perfectly clear to this court and to everybody here … that his dad, Philip, had no knowledge of what he was doing on either case until Jeremy Billings told him.”
‘Goodness in their hearts outweigh mistakes’
Philip Moran addressed the court, asking for leniency so that he could be there to help care for his wife of nearly 43 years along with other family and his grandchildren. Sheila Moran asked for leniency for both her husband and son.
“I know them probably better than anyone else here,” Sheila Moran said. “I can tell you my husband has worked in this county for many, many years” and helped many people during the course of his career.
“Neither one of them is perfect,” she said. “They have made mistakes. I am here to tell you the goodness in their hearts far outweighs their mistakes.”
“Alan is a dedicated and loving father to two loving children,” she said. “Before this nightmare began, my son was fun-loving and enjoyed … nothing more than being with family, including his sister and her family, dozens of cousins and aunts and uncles.”
Before sentencing the Morans, Schmidt addressed the case. “No doubt that this case over the last year has probably caused many people in this courtroom to have sleepless nights: Alan Moran, Philip Moran, their families, the lawyers, the witnesses and, in advance of the hearing today, I can put myself …” in that category as well, Schmidt said.
But Schmidt said “the ordinary standards of honesty” did not apply in this case.
“The facts in this case not only revealed corruption, they revealed arrogance,” he said.
The judge then pointed to one of the most disturbing aspects of the crimes committed by Philip Moran, who served as a Republican in the state Senate from 2012 to 2024. Philip Moran was a member of the state Parole Board at the time of the crimes.
“Perhaps what is most damaging is the fact that Philip Moran committed this crime while holding a position of public trust, one within the very criminal justice system that he now finds himself mired in,” Schmidt said.
“The public should expect and demand that those who serve in positions of public trust will conduct not only their public affairs but also their private affairs above board and with honesty.”
The crimes
Prosecutors said the father and son devised a scheme to offer Alan Moran’s stalking victim, Slade Miller, $20,000 to drop the misdemeanor charge against Alan Moran. Miller rejected the offer, and Alan Moran was later convicted of stalking.
His stalking conviction and subsequent indictment in the bribery case led to the revocation of his probation in a felony child exploitation conviction, resulting in a 12-year prison sentence.
Assistant District Attorneys Chris Daniel and Burrell prosecuted the case.
Billings and Schexnayder pleaded guilty to a felony bribery charge. Both testified against the Morans during their trial earlier this month.
The bribery investigation began in December 2024 after Miller reported to Waveland police that two men on motorcycles approached him in the Lowe’s parking lot and offered him cash to drop the stalking charge. According to testimony, the scheme began when Alan Moran summoned Billings to the family’s business in Kiln and asked him to offer Miller $20,000 in exchange for dropping the charge.
Prosecutors allege Philip Moran was present and overheard the conversation. Philip Moran testified in his own defense and denied hearing any discussion about bribing the stalking victim. He said he later learned his son had given Billings money to speak with Miller but maintained the money was not intended as a bribe.
When Billings first went to meet Alan Moran about the bribe, he said he appeared “afraid and upset.”
Billings said Alan Moran provided him with a mugshot of Miller so he could identify him along with the cash. In exchange for carrying out the plan, Billings was promised help paying off a truck, while Schexnayder testified he was promised $10,000 for his role. Neither man was paid.
Billings and Schexnayder rode motorcycles to Lowe’s, where the stalking victim worked, to offer the bribe. They entered the store with their helmets on their heads and later made the offer in the Lowe’s parking lot before approaching him again in the parking lot of Dirt Cheap. The pair left with the cash after the victim declined the offer and reported the crime to Waveland police.
In addition to reviewing phone records, an FBI task force officer gathered evidence related to a $30,000 cash loan withdrawal on a CD that Philip Moran made Nov. 18, 2024, at Keesler Federal Credit Union in Diamondhead. Authorities believe the elder Moran took out the cash loan to cover the bribery expense.
Philip Moran said he was planning to use the money to buy a classic car.
Waveland Deputy Chief Eddie Hursey disputed those claims, saying the man selling the classic car said Moran didn’t seem serious about buying the car.
Billings said Alan Moran was taken into custody a short time after the bribery attempt. He said Philip Moran later called him about returning the money, but referred to the cash as “tools.”
Billings said he took the cash back to Philip Moran’s office in Kiln and left it on his desk. Throughout his testimony, Philip Moran tried to distance himself from the crimes and portrayed himself as someone who had never committed a crime.
A jury took a little over an hour to convict the father and son.
“Public confidence in the judicial system depends on the belief that the law applies equally to everyone,” District Attorney Crosby Parker said. “Efforts to bribe victims in order to avoid accountability undermine that confidence and threaten the integrity of the justice process. We commend the Waveland Police Department and the FBI for their outstanding work in investigating this matter and protecting the integrity of our system of justice.”
This article was originally published by Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Source: Original Article
