Three Jackson Police Officers Indicted for Conspiracy and Bribery

JACKSON, MS—Monyette Quintel Jefferson, 27; Terence Dale Jenkins, 25; and Anthony Ricardo Payne, Jr., 25, all Jackson Police Department Patrol Officers at the time of the offense, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on conspiracy and bribery charges relating to an undercover investigation in which the defendants believed they were protecting drug transactions, U.S. Attorney John Dowdy and FBI Special Agent in Charge Daniel McMullen announced today.

The indictment alleges that from approximately June 2009 through February 2012, the defendants conspired to commit bribery, carrying out their criminal conduct on the following dates:

• June 12, 2009—Jefferson and Jenkins protected what they believed to be a drug shipment and transaction of cocaine, and Jefferson accepted $3,000 in cash.
• March 16, 2010—Jefferson and Payne protected what they believed to be a drug shipment and transaction of cocaine. Jefferson accepted $3,000 in cash, and Payne accepted $1,500 in cash.
• April 20, 2010—Jefferson, Jenkins, and Payne protected what they believed to be a drug shipment and transaction of cocaine, and they each accepted $3,500 in cash.
• June 25, 2010—Jefferson, Jenkins, and Payne protected what they believed to be a drug shipment and transaction of cocaine. Jefferson accepted $6,000 in cash, Jenkins and Payne each accepted $5,000 in cash.

The indictment also charges Jefferson with an additional count of bribery which took place on October 7, 2008, when he accepted $5,000 in cash.

The original affidavit filed last month when the defendants were arrested stated that on June 25, 2010, an undercover FBI agent, posing as a drug dealer, met with Officers Monyette Quintel Jefferson and Anthony Ricardo Payne at Metro Center Mall to discuss their protection of a shipment of cocaine that was coming into Jackson. Later that day, Jefferson arrived at Hawkins Field Airport in Jackson and assisted the undercover FBI agent in removing four suitcases, which Jefferson believed to contain cocaine, from an airplane and into the undercover FBI agent’s vehicle. Jefferson was paid $6,000 for his protection.

The affidavit further stated that, also on June 25, 2010, Officer Terence Dale Jenkins provided protection for what he believed was a drug transaction of approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine between two undercover FBI agents in the parking lot of Hawkins Field Airport. Jenkins was paid $5,000 for protecting the transaction, and then provided further protection by following the second undercover FBI agent from Hawkins Field Airport to Interstate 20. Later that afternoon, another undercover FBI agent arrived at Hawkins Field Airport and simulated the purchase of approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine from the first undercover FBI agent in the presence of Payne and Jefferson. Payne was paid $5,000 for his protection and then provided further protection by following the third undercover FBI agent from Hawkins Field Airport to the Hanging Moss Road area.

Jefferson, Jenkins, and Payne are scheduled to make an initial appearance on March 14, 2012 at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda Anderson. If convicted on all six counts of the indictment, Jefferson faces a maximum penalty of 55 years in federal prison and a $1.5 million fine. Jenkins and Payne, each charged in four counts of the indictment, face a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

The public is reminded that, as in any criminal case, a person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The charges filed merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.