{"id":15545,"date":"2026-02-05T17:49:38","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T17:49:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/?p=15545"},"modified":"2026-02-05T17:49:38","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T17:49:38","slug":"fbi-arrest-2-american-sheriffs-chief-deputy-12-officers-in-mississippi-cocaine-trafficking-sting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nigeriastandardnewspaper.com\/a\/fbi-arrest-2-american-sheriffs-chief-deputy-12-officers-in-mississippi-cocaine-trafficking-sting\/","title":{"rendered":"FBI arrest 2 American sheriffs, chief deputy, 12 officers in Mississippi Cocaine trafficking sting"},"content":{"rendered":"

*Officers took bribes to facilitate the transport of drugs in the Mississippi Delta; federal officials began investigation after receiving complaints from drug dealers<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Names, identities, positions of compromised law enforcement suspects exposed<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*\u201cThis corruption permeated all levels, spread across multiple counties, multiple jurisdictions. The Department of Justice and its subset, the FBI, will not allow wrongdoers to get away with it\u201d-FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*\u201cThe Mississippi Department of Public Safety and Mississippi Department of Corrections do not condone, nor will we tolerate, conduct that violates the public\u2019s trust, particularly from those who have taken an oath to protect and serve\u201d<\/span>–<\/strong> Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell and MDOC Commissioner Burl Cain <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*BY CLETUS SUNDAY\/INTERNATIONAL Crime Correspondent, Mississippi\/Naija Standard Newspaper Inc USA<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

THEY are 14 law enforcement officers involved in various forms of crimes and found to have desecrated the honour and badge of policing in the United States of America by allegedly using their offices to courier Cocaine and all other drugs in Mississippi. They were busted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, FBI.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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On Thursday, federal officials announced the arrests, which spanned multiple counties and multiple jurisdictions in Mississippi.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Those arrested include Washington County Sheriff Milton Gaston, Humphreys County Sheriff Bruce Williams, and Sunflower County Chief Deputy Marvin Flowers.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Other officers\u2019 arrests include:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Brandon Addison – Hollandale Police Dept., Humphreys Co. Sheriff\u2019s Office<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Jabari Howard – Metcalf Police Dept., Hollandale Police<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Truron Grayson – Humphreys Co. Sheriff\u2019s Office<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Sean Williams – Yazoo City Police Dept., Mississippi Department of Corrections<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Dexter Franklin – Washington Co. Sheriff\u2019s Office<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Wendell Johnson – Bolivar Co. Sheriff\u2019s Office<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Jamario Sanford – Greenwood Police Dept.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Martavus Moore – Greenville Police Dept.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Marquavious Bankhead – Miss. Highway Patrol<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Chaka Gaines – Greenville Police Dept.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Dequarion Smith – Humphreys County Sheriff\u2019s Office\/Isola Police Dept.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

*Marcus Nolan – Mississippi Department of Corrections<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Acting U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner said the officers allegedly took bribes to allow or facilitate the transport of drugs in the Mississippi Delta, and that federal officials began the investigation after receiving complaints from drug dealers.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis corruption permeated all levels, extended across multiple counties, multiple jurisdictions. The Department of Justice and its subset, the FBI, will not allow wrongdoers to get away with it,\u201d said FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe will stop these kinds of disgraceful and shameful abuses of public office, and… will not tolerate corruption among America\u2019s criminal justice system,\u201d Bailey said.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI guess you could characterize it as a sting,\u201d said Attorney Joyner. \u201cWe did what we did to close the circle.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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FILE PHOTO: The Federal Bureau of Investigation seal is seen at FBI headquarters in Washington, U.S. June 14, 2018. REUTERS\/Yuri Gripas\/File Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A joint statement released by Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell and MDOC Commissioner Burl Cain said that Moore, Williams, Nolan, and Bankhead have all been \u201csuspended or separated from employment with our respective agencies.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Mississippi Department of Public Safety and Mississippi Department of Corrections do not condone, nor will we tolerate, conduct that violates the public\u2019s trust, particularly from those who have taken an oath to protect and serve,\u201d Cain and Tindell said.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Officials say another six co-conspirators were also arrested in the investigation.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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