John Coleman’s trial at the federal courthouse in Oxford has been delayed until May, according to a court order.
The order, filed on Wednesday, moved the trial to May 9 from its original date of Jan. 30.
The delay was requested by Coleman’s attorney, John Colette of Jackson, who said in his request that he has yet to review the “extensive” amounts of evidence submitted and would need more time to do so.
Coleman, who served as the president of Express Grain Terminals LLC, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on six counts of wire fraud. He has also been indicted by a Leflore County grand jury on five counts of making fraudulent statements.
The charges involve Coleman’s alleged involvement in fraudulent statements made to farmers, banks and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. He has also been accused of submitting falsified financial documents to state regulators and UMB Bank, Express Grain’s largest creditor.
He has pleaded not guilty.
Express Grain, which has been going through bankruptcy since September 2021, appears close to be resolving the process.
On Tuesday, the bankruptcy court cleared the way to approve the company’s disclosure statement, which is an outline of how the company will conclude its affairs and close out the bankruptcy process.
The company’s former Leflore County properties have been sold to new entities. The grain storage bins in Sidon and Minter City were sold to Delta Grain Co., which launched operations this past summer. The Greenwood oil mill, used for processing and crushing soybeans, has been sold to Oxbow Crush. The goal is to have the mill fully operational by early next year.
- Contact Kevin Edwards at 662-581-7233 or kedwards@gwcommonwealth.com.
