Twenty individuals, including fourteen current and former law enforcement officers and two Mississippi sheriffs, have been charged in a sweeping bribery case across Mississippi and Tennessee. In what officials termed “a monumental betrayal of public trust,” the officers are accused of accepting payments to protect drug traffickers.
The arrests culminate a multi-year federal investigation that began with an unusual source: complaints from drug traffickers themselves about corrupt officers. “The original complaints that began the investigation were from drug dealers,” confirmed Clay Joyner, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi, at a Thursday news conference.
During the sting operation, undercover federal agents posed as narcotics traffickers, paying some officers bribes ranging from $20,000 to $37,000. In exchange, the accused officers allegedly provided protection for what they believed was the transport of 25 kilograms (55 pounds) of cocaine.
The alleged bribery network extended from the Mississippi Delta region to Memphis, Tennessee, and Miami, Florida. FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey condemned the actions of the accused, stating, “They betrayed the trust that the public placed in them, disgraced the badge and undermined the hard work of good law enforcement officers across this state and region.”
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