Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Meridian Cops Indicted

The Justice Department issued the following statement.

Four present and former officers of the City of Meridian Police Department have each been charged in separate indictments for theft and embezzlement of federal funds, announced United States Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

The four indictments, dated November 6, 2019, were unsealed today in United States District Court charging Captain James F. Arrington, 62, with two counts of theft and embezzlement amounting to over $22,000 in loss; Sergeant Dareall D. Thompson, 41, with two counts of theft and embezzlement, totaling over $14,000; Officer Tenesia A. Evans, 37, with one count of theft and embezzlement of over $13,000; and former Officer Erica L. Harmon, 51, with one count of theft and embezzlement of more than $5,000.

According to the indictments, between January 2016 and December 2019, each defendant is alleged to have been an employee of the City of Meridian Police Department who embezzled and otherwise converted to his or her own use funds from the City, which was a governmental entity which received federal funding during each specified one year period.

Arrington, Thompson, Evans and Harmon all appeared today for arraignment on their respective indictments before United States Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball in Jackson, Mississippi. The Court released all four defendants on bond, subject to conditions including that each of them refrain from violations of state or federal law while awaiting trial.

Each of the four defendant police officers faces maximum penalties of 10 years in prison for theft from an agency receiving federal funds. Each count also can merit a fine of up to $250,000.

Trial has been set for James F. Arrington on June 22, 2020, before the Hon. Henry T. Wingate, United States District Judge.

Trial has been set for Dareall D. Thompson on June 8, 2020, before the Hon. David C. Bramlette, Senior United States District Judge.

Trial has been set for Tenesia A. Evans on July 6, 2020, before the Hon. Carlton W. Reeves, United States District Judge.

Trial has been set for Erica L. Harmon on June 22, 2020, before the Hon. Daniel P. Jordan, Chief United States District Judge.

U.S. Attorney Hurst commended the work of the Special Agents with the FBI’s Jackson Division, and the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office, who investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Theodore Cooperstein.

The public is reminded that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

two types of people you can't trust: The crooks, and the police. One violates your rights and the other takes your right away. God Bless American.

Anonymous said...

I sent this to a friend in Meridian and this was their text response. “Dareall and his twin brother are pieces of shit. His brother already lost his job as an officer years ago because he used equipment and databases to spy on a woman. Now he goes down finally. They both were dirty and one of them arrested me for weed and pushed the charges in front of me. I guess he wanted to make me an example or put his bad day on me. Either way fuck him for being an asshole. “

LAWLZ

Anonymous said...

Sgt Darrell Thompson (Different Spelling, but seen it spelled Derrel, Darrel ???) was the spokesman for Meridian PD. He also did the crime stoppers segment on the local News. Me thinks that Gannett, owner of the Clarion-Ledger also owns the Meridian Star. Either way, most of the news either print or TV is highly filtered, to protect the movers and shakers feelings. ABC Ch 11 has an online Article about this, but no video as yet.

This is a 2007 Meridian Star Article...
Seven Meridian Police Department officers received awards from the State of Mississippi for their support of the enforcement of child restraint laws.

Officer Joe Boman was named the second place overall officer in the state with 269 citations issued in 2006. Officer Darrell Thompson was fourth in the state overall with 209 citations issued. Other officers and their totals were Officer Tim Phillips, 68, Cpl. Donnie Jenkins with 57, Officer Terrell Thompson, 49, Officer Mark Chandlee, 34, and Cpl. Artis Johnson, with 25.

2016 article excerpt...MPD Promotions (The pictures associated with the Article list name as Dareall Thompson - but it is the Darrell Thompson that appears on TV, also Detective as shown in picture)

https://www.meridianstar.com/news/mpd-promotes-eight-within-its-ranks/article_38bfd5c6-31de-11e6-9652-7bbc3b66e53e.html

Jay Arrington, promoted to captain. Arrington, who has been a member of the Meridian Police Department since 1995, has been recognized as Officer of the Year and is a member of the DUI 100, 200 and 300 Club. He is a graduate of Meridian High School and Meridian Community College. Arrington has three children.

Dareall Thompson, promoted to sergeant. Thompson, who has served 16 years with MPD, has been recognized as Officer of the Year and as No. 1 in the state for child safety restraint. He is a graduate of Meridian High School and Meridian Community College. Thompson is married to Kimberly Taylor Thompson and has three children.

Meridian Mayor Percy Bland recognized the officers as “an exceptional group of men and women.”

“These eight officers showed exemplary leadership skills, as well as the ability to produce results,” Bland said. “We are proud of all of our officers and thankful for the job that they do protecting and serving the citizens of Meridian.”


https://www.meridianstar.com/news/local_news/law-enforcement-officers-awarded/article_f70ff287-4759-5a09-a956-3565b8e75fb8.html

Also with the MPD, Dareall Thompson, a detective, placed number one in the state for child restraint violations he administered with 369.

Anonymous said...

Great job AG Fitch!

Anonymous said...


Meridian tv station wtok had this on their facebook page but comments such as yours (9:01pm) that were being posted were far too concerning for the Mayor and Meridian citizens to view I suppose. I did not see the posting still showing (though I suppose I could have missed it). Thompson was the spokesman for the police dept and a good friend of the Mayor. Also married to a woman that got a sweet job for the school district ... if I am not wrong.

Anonymous said...

KF - what did they steal? Money? How does a local PD have federal funds available to cops on a beat?

Poorly written news release. Mike need to hire Heath Hall.

Anonymous said...

You want to talk about corrupt, Meridian has long been one of the most corrupt cities in the state. Not sure why they don't get much press around these parts, maybe because they are so far over there, but that place is shady at best.

Anonymous said...

Just a speculative guess on my part, but just about the only Federal funds these officers would have any control over would be grants for overtime for DUI checkpoints and the like. My guess is they filled out timesheets showing extra work they never actually did.

Anonymous said...

You can guess all you want about what they are accused of doing this time but if they really are dirty you can bet that it wasn't their first rodeo!

Anonymous said...

Meridian is a shit hole just like Pascagoula. We need to let Alabama annex them.

Anonymous said...

@9:26 - think they will take the entire shit hole state?

Sho Nuff said...

That is a very good guess @8:25AM. The State wasn't informed on this @10:43PM. Word is a certain city council member, among others, was instrumental in the Feds coming in. There will probably be a knockdown drag-out mayoral race next time. @8:02AM, shady wouldn't begin to cover that area of the state.

Anonymous said...

What does Pascagoula have to do with it???

Anonymous said...

Dareall Thompson....if you look up his address, (public information) Zillo home estimate is 300k. It last sold in 2007 for 35k. Also, Lauderdale County Tax records are online. Don't get it confused with Lauderdale County, Alabama, as they both use the same Software/Program.

For those of you who remember the Fight covered by JJ of the Meridian Mayor's Bodyguard fighting a coach at a children's "Travel Ball" game in Ridgeland back in 2017. He was a Meridian PD Officer. He MAY have been in the JJ story last year where 2 Meridian officials were discussing events in Meridian, and one had recorded the conversation.

Here's the link to the fight story....

http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2017/04/ballpark-brawl.html

The reason I list this is because the Mayor's Bodyguard failed to pay the taxes on his home and adjacent lot for the 2nd year. As I said, this is all public information.

This is a direct link...you can search by name, address ect.

http://tscmaps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=a32e5d92fbb94eeebb1d707907326f5b

Here is the link to the Meridian Meltdown recording article by JJ.

http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2019/08/meridian-meltdown.html

Anonymous said...

Someone commented above about Federal Grants for DUI enforcement. I can't find the Article now, but around 2017-18, Lauderdale County received a grant to hire/pay 2 deputies dedicated to apprehending those driving
Under the influence of Prescription Drug. Part of the "War on Opioids". If Lauderdale County got money, it is probable that the City of Meridian did also.

Sho Nuff said...

Someone, "up the ladder" had to have signed off on the timesheets. It will be interesting to what comes out in the trials.

Anonymous said...

Someone commented in one of the prior JJ article about the city of Meridian's problems. This comment was a link to a YouTube recording of a conversation between a current City Alderman and a recently retired Member of the PD and Mayor's clique. Whoever put the presentation together, included photos of each player that was discussed, including attempts to Set up the recently elected Alderman. The Alderman was warned that his emails, both official, and personal were being intercepted. He also warned that his phone calls were being monitored. When asked how, 2 methods were discussed. 1...a long time regional manager employed by Bellsouth, but they meant ATT. 2...they weren't specific, but indicated the person had ways. A photo of a "Stingray" was shown.

For those of you who aren't familiar with that device, google it. Many local Police & sheriff's departments were provided these to supposedly combat the war on drugs. But they are abused greatly according to the Articles I have read. From the examples I have read, the Feds that used a Stingray in prosecution, have dropped charges before they would admit the evidence came from a Stingray.

A Stingray is a small cell tower repeater that can be taken in and out of a vehicle. Your cell phone is designed to Connect to the strongest signal. When you drive into a community/area and turn on the Stingray, it attracts the signals from ALL phones. Your call is then rerouted through the Stingray, with it recording all the associated information. As I have read, the Feds believe this violates the 4th amendment, and rather than use the info, and have the Stingrays banned by a US supreme court decision. They deny it, and drop charges.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m7mPCt79ZzM&feature=youtu.be

Another tool that is misused, are Real Time cell phone location apps. ATT Hemisphere is just one. This technology was supposedly designed for combating illegal Phones in Jails & Prisons. But It was then sold to 3rd parties, and has been a free for all, with towing companies, fleet managers, individual police officers, property managers, finance companies, auto dealers all using it. It can place your location in Real Time within 300 ft. Alarms can be placed to notify the user when your phone moves. It will keep your travel history. If you buy a large enough monthly plan, it can get as cheap as 2.00 a phone per month, and all you need is the phone #. Securus is another location app/program. All the major carriers have their own version. ATT was supposedly going to stop selling it to 3rd parties in 2018, but they were still selling it in 2019, as a simple Google search shows.

Think about this, even if you have the wifi on your phone set to not connect to any wifi signal, when your phone detects a Walmart, or restaurant signal. Your phone still logs that detection and send that info to the carrier. So as you drive up a street with businesses, the carrier can access your Real Time location from wifi and triangulation of cell towers you are pinging on, based on signal strength.

Anonymous said...

Someone up the ladder is more likely than not the Captain. Not to many Captains go on patrol, make VTO or checkpoint stops. May have been named on the Grant, if that was what it was, as the Admin for the Grant. But, I agree, more names likely to show up.

Anonymous said...

6:07 Sounds like you know your stuff but, why share all that detail? And what's that got to do with anything here?

(Does sound like its got its place somewhere though)

Anonymous said...

@3:26...Read the 2nd comment on this article about Thompson and his Twin. This presentation was put together by the same group that has been trying to turn the ship around. JJ has Posted one of the recordings before of the Mayor's former bodyguard.

This is about Twin...47k salary + Guaranteed OT = 112k per year, as a building inspector. $7k and $8k standard white to Black paint jobs. All city vehicles are supposed to be white, except for PD dept.

https://youtu.be/f_WfivTXYPM

This is the New Alderman, being warned about being set up.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m7mPCt79ZzM&feature=youtu.be

This is the same City Offical talking to the Mayor's former Bodyguard who was in the fight in Ridgeland.

http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2019/08/meridian-
meltdown.html

This article doesn't list who was appointed to the Mississippi Development Authority, but one of the new appointments was the former Meridian Chief Administrative Officer under the Current Mayor...same person has also been appointed to the Lottery Board.

http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2017/11/golden-triangle-food-fight.html

https://www.meridianstar.com/news/mcgrevey-reflects-on-cao-post-looks-to-new-job/article_c51ab3a8-22ce-11e5-a532-7b6476c030a6.html



Life is cheap in Meridian,..This young man's family has been asking for answers for years, and will never get them. Read how the MPD handled it.

https://mississippitoday.org/2017/03/17/death-in-meridian-a-mystery-three-years-later/

A misstep by the Meridian Police Department the day 21-year-old Christian Andreacchio died set the tone for the criminal investigation that has stretched into three years.

A host of police detectives, three police chiefs, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, private investigators, crime scene re-constructionists, a forensic pathologist and several attorneys have tried to figure out how and why Christian died.

87 year old WWII Combat veteran killed in parking lot after buying wife flowers...shooter was wearing ankle monitor...2 mistrials...in the 1st, a detective who retrieved the ankle monitor location data placing him in parking lot, couldn't produce a search warrant at trial.

https://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/Three-Charged-in-Sunday-Murder-258951271.html

Anonymous said...


For all throwing stones, if you ever stole a pencil you are headed for hell fire you are thief. The blood of Jesus is your only way of escaping.

NOW, Satan lays snares to entrap, He goes about seeking who he can kill and destroy. He watches us to find a weak spot. But praise God the destroyer is defeated by the blood and also the avenger is shut up. There will be great mercy shown toward these men and woman. just cause their sin against God was public. YOURS is hidden. Repent and turn to God or you’ll be in the pit in hell.



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Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

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In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

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Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


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Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

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