Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, along with David T. Resch, Special Agent in Charge of the Little Rock Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Arkansas State Police Colonel William J. Bryant announced today that Dumas Police Officer James Ivory Edgerson, age 37, of Dumas, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with drug conspiracy. Also charged were Kendrick Lamar Edgerson, age 43, of Little Rock; Gregory Lamont Charles, age 41, of Little Rock; Steven Sherrod Miles, age 42, of Dumas; Rodney Lariel Edgerson, age 36, of Little Rock; and Eli Haynes III, age 40, of Arlington, Texas.

James Edgerson was arrested Wednesday night. The other five defendants listed in the complaint were arrested Thursday morning. All defendants except Haynes appeared before United States Magistrate Judge J. Thomas Ray on Thursday. Haynes, who was arrested in Texas, will be seen in Texas by a United States Magistrate Judge on Friday. The five Arkansas defendants were detained pending bond hearings to determine whether the defendants remain in federal custody until an Indictment is returned. The charge in the complaint must be presented to the federal Grand Jury for Indictment within 30 days.

During the execution of three federal search warrants Thursday morning in connection with the arrests, agents seized approximately 28 ounces of powder cocaine, one ounce of crack cocaine, one pound of marijuana, five firearms including a suppressor, and $222,000 in cash.

According to the complaint, James Ivory Edgerson (Edgerson) has been a sworn patrol officer with the Dumas Police Department for approximately 14 years. Between May and September 2015, Edgerson made several drug deliveries of marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine to confidential sources. Law enforcement also obtained a court-authorized wiretap on Edgerson’s phone during the conspiracy period.

When Edgerson was arrested he was in a vehicle with approximately three ounces of powder cocaine and one ounce of crack cocaine. Agents executing a search warrant at his home also found approximately $16,000 cash, several firearms and an unregistered firearm suppressor.

“It is extremely disheartening any time a member of law enforcement commits a crime and breaks the trust that the people of his community have placed in him or her,” Thyer said. “The citizens of the Eastern District of Arkansas deserve better, and deserve to know that their law enforcement members will honor their vow to protect and serve. When that vow—and that trust—is broken, my office will make sure those individuals are punished and answer for their crimes.”

The complaint alleges that Kendrick Lamar Edgerson (Kendrick) was intercepted over Edgerson’s phone engaging in drug trafficking activity with Edgerson. After Kendrick participated in a delivery of nine ounces of cocaine on August 31, 2015, Kendrick fled from police during a traffic stop. As a result of that traffic stop, state authorities cited Kendrick for possession of cocaine with the purpose to distribute, possession of marijuana, and fleeing from a police officer.

Also according to the complaint, on multiple occasions, Edgerson met with Gregory Lamont Charles (Charles) directly before and after controlled deliveries of cocaine, and Charles is believed to be a cocaine supplier. Agents executed a search warrant at Charles’s house Thursday morning and located approximately 25 ounces of cocaine, $206,000 cash, and a firearm.

Edgerson provided Steven Sherrod Miles (Miles) with drugs to sell, and Miles split the profit from the sale of the drugs with Edgerson. Agents located one pound of marijuana at Miles’s home during the execution of a search warrant. In August 2015, Edgerson traveled to Arlington, Texas, to purchase nine ounces of methamphetamine from Eli Haynes III (Haynes). Upon returning to Arkansas, Edgerson sold this methamphetamine.

The complaint also alleges that Rodney Lariel Edgerson (Rodney), who was intercepted on Edgerson’s phone, met with Edgerson on August 15, 2015, and sold him five to six pounds of marijuana.

Rodney and Kendrick are brothers, and are also cousins of Edgerson.

“Edgerson, a police officer with the Dumas Police Department, was arrested today on drug conspiracy charges,” Resch said. “Together with our partners, the United States Attorney’s Office, OCDETF, Arkansas State Police, Tri County Drug Task Force, ArkTrust Public Corruption Task Force, and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and with the cooperation of the Dumas Police Department, we will aggressively investigate these charges.”

The maximum potential penalty for a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846 (drug conspiracy) is up to life imprisonment, up to life supervised release, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.

The investigation was part of Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation Blue Dream. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Arkansas State Police, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and Tri County Drug Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Walker and Julie Peters.

The charges stemmed from an investigation by the FBI’s ArkTrust Public Corruption Task Force. The ArkTrust Public Corruption Task Force is comprised of FBI Agents, and Task Force Officers from the Arkansas State Police Department, Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, and the Little Rock Police Department. If you think you see public corruption contact the public corruption hotline at (501) 221-8200.

A complaint contains only allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.