The FBI announced Thursday the indictment and arrest of 20 individuals — including two law enforcement officers from the Greenwood area — in a sweeping public corruption investigation centered on the Mississippi Delta region.
Among those named were Jamario Sanford of the Greenwood Police Department for charges of conspiracy to aid the transport and distribution of illegal narcotics, bribes and firearm-related offenses involving the transport of what was believed to be 25 kilograms of cocaine. Also named was Marquivious Bankhead, who had recently resigned from the Mississippi Highway Patrol Troop D, on charges of aiding and abetting the transport of what he believed was 25 kilograms of cocaine and a firearms offense. FBI agents arrested Bankhead this morning in Greenwood.
Also apprehended by the FBI Thursday morning was Tyquana Rucker, a Leflore County deputy. Her charges, however, were dismissed, and she is no longer implicated in the case, according to Clay Joyner, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi.
According to court documents, 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, Chaka Gaines, Martavis Moore, Marvin Flowers, and Dequarian Smith are all also charged with drug distribution. These individuals were also arrested in numerous counties within the Northern District of Mississippi and Shelby County, Tennessee.
Marvin Flowers, chief deputy for the Sunflower County Sheriff's Department, was Itta Bena's police chief from 2008 to 2010.
There were also two Delta sheriffs indicted -- Milton Gaston, the sheriff of Washington County, and Bruce Williams, the sheriff of Humphreys County.
In addition, 19 individuals are charged with violating federal firearm laws pertaining to carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. As stated in the indictments, 14 of these individuals were local law enforcement officials in the Mississippi Delta. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Joyner, Deputy Director Andrew Bailey of the FBI and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office made the announcement.
All listed offenses are allegations and must be proven in court; those indicted are presumed innocent unless and until convicted.
More information from the press conference will be in the weekend edition of the Commonwealth
