Former Law Enforcement Officers Plead Guilty to Theft of Government Funds

JACKSON, MS—Watson Jackson, a former deputy with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office; Zach Robinson, a former deputy with the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office; and Kent Daniels, a former Jackson Police officer and investigator for the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office, pled guilty in U.S. District Court today to theft of government funds and property.

On September 30, 2011, defendants Robinson and Daniels, along with an FBI informant, drove to a motel to rob a room they thought was being used by a drug dealer. They discussed detailed plans of the robbery and how they would divide the money among themselves. However, the FBI had previously rented the motel room and placed $23,000 in cash and seven iPads in the room. Jackson drove in a separate vehicle to the motel and acted as a lookout.

Upon arrival at the motel, the FBI informant and Robinson entered the motel room and took the $23,000 and seven iPads. After taking the cash and the iPads, they met up with defendant Daniels in order to count the money. At the time, they did not believe they had taken all the money, so Jackson and the FBI informant went back to the motel room and looked for additional money. After the robbery, defendants Robinson, Daniels, Jackson and the FBI informant divided the money and iPads among them.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jerry Rushing and Mike Hurst.

The defendants will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee on May 23, 2013, at 9:00 a.m. They each face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.