Jackson Jambalaya

The FBI announced the indictment and arrests of four local individuals for stealing $23,000 and seven Ipads from a hotel room. The FBI alleges they thought they were ripping off drug dealers from out of state. The name of one of them will ring a bell to long-time readers of this website: Kent Daniels.

Yup. The same investigator that was involved in the Heather Spencer case, Elicia Hughes case, and was busted with drugs back in 2000 while at JPD. Those arrested are:

George Hilliard, age 43, Kingsbridge Road, Madison, MS, was taken into custody at the FBI office in Jackson, MS;

Zack Robinson, age 45, a deputy with the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office, was arrested at his residence in Jackson, MS; (Sheriff Tyrone Lewis said he is on administrative leave without pay pending the resolution of this case.)

Kent Daniels, age 44, of Byram, MS, a former Jackson Police Officer and investigator for the Hinds County District Attorney, was arrested in Jackson; and

Watson Lee Jackson, Jr., age 42, a former deputy with the Madison County Sheriff’s office, was arrested at his residence in Ridgeland, MS.

The FBI press release states:

"As part of the conspiracy, the defendants would discuss how to steal cash from drug dealers traveling into Mississippi from other states.

On September 30, 2011, Robinson, Daniels and Jackson drove to a hotel room in Jackson, Mississippi, to steal personal property from individuals they believed to be drug dealers traveling to Mississippi from other states. Robinson entered the hotel room and took a bag containing approximately $23,000. Also on September 30, 2011, Hilliard, Robinson, Daniels and Jackson did steal and knowingly convert to their own use the money in the bag and seven (7) iPads belonging to the United States.

The defendants made their initial appearance today before United States Magistrate Keith Ball. Each subject was released on a $10,000 bond and trial was set for December 3, 2012. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of fifteen (15) years in prison and a $500,000 fine."

Then there is the matter of Kent Daniels. Kent Daniels was the subject of a 2008 post after his named kept appearing in several controversial cases. I wrote in an earlier post concerning the first assault on Heather Spencer:

"The police reports states she had 57 staples ( 3 rows), a finger splint, a spring wrap on her wrist, and that he tried to strangle her. Ms. Spencer also states in the report she had a fracture.... It is at this point several questions about JPD's conduct are raised. The charge was reduced to Simple Domestic Violence, a misdemeanor, by Detective Daniels."

Detective Daniels next appeared in the Elicia Hughes trial where he decided to "interview" female subjects in the case at Red Lobster. Frank Melton then assigned him to be a "bodyguard" for District Attorney Robert Schuler Smith. He is reportedly now working as an investigator for attorney Precious Martin.