Jackson Jambalaya

For a collection of all posts on the Evans case, see sidebar at the right side of the page.

Amy McCullough of the Mississippi Business Journal reports the Evans brothers are still operating their Gulf States Directory company:

"Employees from a phone book company operated by a man who filed for bankruptcy in October are selling ads to small business owners in Rankin and Madison counties. And money is being collected for ads for new phone books that will likely never be distributed or printed.

Rankin County books were supposed to be distributed in June but have still not been delivered due to nonpayment to the printer. The phone books’ printer, Utah-based Liberty Press, still holds 45,000 Rankin County books in its warehouse. Gulf States paid for 1,700 Rankin County books in spring 2009, which the company has distributed sparingly to stall angry customers who have inquired about books.

Gulf States has produced Metro West Jackson and Rankin and Madison county phone books for years.

Pure Air Consultants in Ridgeland wrote a check for $1,200 to Gulf States in January for their balance on advertising in the Rankin book. Employee Jennifer Sanders contacted Gulf States ad salesman James Garner early this month about distribution of the books. Garner was “extremely rude and defensive” and told Sanders that directories had been distributed and that she was welcome to come by the office to pick one up, she said. Garner told her that ad representatives were too busy selling ads for the upcoming Madison County book to handle her request personally, Sanders said." Article

I can personally testify to the attempts by Gulf States to sell more ads. Gulf States tried to sell an ad to a friend a few weeks ago. She called me and asked about these guys as she reads this site. She was writing out a check for several hundred dollars. The rep tried to blame everything on real estate deals gone bad, disgruntled banks, and a former employee poor-mouthing them to everyone. Thankfully for Chris Evans, my friend decided not to buy the ad after she had already written the check. However, the article reports other organizations such as the Flowood Chamber of Commerce never received their copies and the publisher still has not been paid for the directories which are still sitting in the publisher's warehouse. I also spoke to the Hinds County District Attorney's office about this case and was told if any of the injured parties file a complaint, they can investigate. However, it takes someone willing to stand up for themselves.