Mississippi Business Journal » criminal

Two men, tobacco company indicted for contraband cigarettes

Associated Press — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:16:25 +0000

OXFORD — Two Kentucky men and a tobacco company have been indicted for their alleged involvement in the trafficking of contraband cigarettes. David Brian Cooper, 47, George Bertram, 53, both of Jamestown, Ky., and Tantus Tobacco Co of Russell Springs, Ky., pleaded not guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Oxford. Trial is scheduled for [...]

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Investigator: Mayor double-billed, pocketed $461K

Associated Press — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:30:07 +0000

SOUTHAVEN — An investigator with the Mississippi auditor’s office has testified in court that Southaven Mayor Greg Davis submitted duplicate charges to the city and the Chamber of Commerce, and was reimbursed a total of $461,000. Davis’ attorney denied the claim. Karen Swain, an investigator with the state auditor’s office, said the city and the [...]

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Former bank CEO pleads guilty to fraud, money laundering

Associated Press — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:41:43 +0000

BUDE — A former bank executive has pleaded guilty to bank fraud and money laundering. U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis and FBI Special Agent in Charge Daniel McMullen said Larry Barnette Hill, 58, of Meadville, entered the plea in federal court in Jackson. Hill served as CEO of People’s Bank of the South in Bude. [...]

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Woman sentenced for bilking investors for bogus businesses

Associated Press — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:37:03 +0000

FAYETTE — A Natchez woman will spend 10 years behind bars for her part in a business scheme that reportedly bilked an investor by never opening the business into which the victim poured their money. The Natchez Democrat reports Emily Sanders was sentenced in Jefferson County Circuit Court to probation for her October conviction on [...]

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Man gets 12 years in prison for Katrina-related construction fraud

Associated Press — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:22:38 +0000

WIGGINS — A former Wiggins businessman has been sentenced to serve 12 years in prison for defrauding south Mississippi homeowners who had hired him to fix their properties after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. Harrison County Circuit Judge John Gargiulo sentenced 53-year-old Charles Lynn Reeder earlier this week to a total of 15 years in [...]

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U.S. Supreme Court weighing appeal of Scruggs, Minor

Associated Press — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:23:23 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court will hold a conference Feb. 15 to decide on whether to hear an appeal from Zach Scruggs, who was implicated as having knowledge of a judicial corruption scheme that toppled his father, plaintiffs’ lawyer Richard “Dickie” Scruggs. The conference will also make a decision in the case of [...]

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Doctor’s murder-for-hire trial date rescheduled

Associated Press — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:55:54 +0000

GREENWOOD — A federal court hearing for a Greenwood oncologist charged with capital murder has been rescheduled for Jan. 25 for U.S. District Court in Aberdeen. Dr. Arnold Smith was scheduled to be in court yesterday to argue prosecutors had no evidence to support bringing charges against him. The 70-year-old Smith is charged with murder [...]

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Attorneys given deadline in medical kickback-bribery case appeal

Associated Press — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:10:43 +0000

TUPELO — A federal court has given attorneys for Tupelo businessman Ray Lamont Shoemaker until about Feb. 19 to file briefs in his appeal of a conviction in a kickback-bribery scheme. The 5th U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans said this past week that the government would have 14 days after Shoemaker’s brief is [...]

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Trial date set for fatal buttocks implant case

Associated Press — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:53:33 +0000

JACKSON — A suspect charged in Mississippi with the cosmetic buttocks injection blamed in the death of a Georgia woman has been set for trial in April. WLBT-TV reports Tracey Lynn Garner, also known as Morris Garner, is set for trial April 8 in Hinds County Circuit Court. Garner is one of two people have [...]

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Another charged with murder in illegal buttocks implant case

Associated Press — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 12:57:50 +0000

JACKSON — A second person faces a charge of murdering a Georgia woman who died from an illegal buttocks implant in Mississippi in March, authorities said. The Mississippi attorney general’s office said in a news release that 39-year-old Natasha Stewart of Memphis, Tenn., was arrested Jan. 3. The release said she waived extradition and will [...]

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