Mississippi Delta law officers among 20 indicted in FBI drug conspiracy take down
OXFORD, Miss. — Fourteen local law enforcement officials from the Mississippi Delta are among 20 individuals arrested Thursday on federal charges related to their alleged involvement in a significant drug trafficking conspiracy, the U.S. Attorney’s office announced.
The arrests occurred across multiple counties in the Northern District of Mississippi and in Shelby County, Tennessee, following a major FBI investigation.
According to court documents, 19 of the 20 individuals are also charged with violating federal firearm laws, specifically for carrying a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime. Authorities confirmed the 14 law enforcement officers were among those facing the firearms charges.
U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner of the Northern District of Mississippi, along with FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office, announced the charges.
The U.S. Marshals Service assisted in making the arrests.
Those charged in the drug distribution conspiracy are: Brandon Addison, Javery Howard, Milton Gaston, Truron Grayson, Bruce Williams, Sean Williams, Dexture Franklin, Wendell Johnson, Marcus Nolan, Aasahn Roach, Jeremy Sallis, Torio Chaz Wiseman, Pierre Lakes, Derrik Wallace, Marquivious Bankhead, Chaka Gaines, Martavis Moore, Jamario Sanford, Marvin Flowers, and Dequarian Smith.
If convicted, sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Mims is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Key Points
- Twenty individuals from Mississippi and Tennessee were arrested on federal charges related to a drug trafficking conspiracy.
- The group of 20 includes 14 local law enforcement officials from the Mississippi Delta.
- Nineteen of the defendants, including all 14 officers, also face federal charges for carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
