Ellington

Jackson, Miss. - Former Jackson Police Department Patrol Officers Monyette Quintel Jefferson, 27, and Terence Dale Jenkins, 25, pled guilty in U.S. District Court today to accepting bribes from an undercover FBI agent, U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis and FBI Special Agent in Charge Daniel McMullen announced.

In pleading guilty today, Monyette Quintel Jefferson and Terrence Dale Jenkins admitted their involvement in protecting drug transactions as follows: On June 10, 2010, Jefferson made an agreement with an undercover FBI agent, who he believed was a drug trafficker, to protect a drug shipment coming into Hawkins Field in Jackson, Mississippi. The undercover FBI agent advised Jefferson that 100 kilograms of cocaine would be coming in on an airplane to Jackson. Jefferson agreed to set up the protection of the shipment.

On June 25, 2010, the undercover FBI agent, posing as a drug trafficker, met with Jefferson and Anthony Ricardo Payne, Jr. at the Metro Center Mall in Jackson. During that meeting, Jefferson, Payne and the undercover FBI agent discussed Jefferson and Payne protecting a shipment of cocaine that was coming into Jackson that day. They also discussed that Jefferson, Payne and another police officer would receive payment for protecting the shipment of cocaine coming into Jackson.

Later that same day, Jefferson arrived at Hawkins Field Airport in his JPD patrol vehicle and met with the undercover FBI agent. At approximately 3:50 pm that same day, JPD Officer Terrence Dale Jenkins, driving a JPD patrol vehicle, met with the undercover FBI agent in the parking lot of Hawkins Field for the purpose of providing police protection for a drug transaction. The undercover FBI agent informed Jenkins that the total drug shipment involved approximately 100 kilograms of cocaine. At approximately 3:55 p.m., another FBI agent, working in an undercover capacity, arrived and simulated the purchase of approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine from the first undercover FBI agent in the presence of Jenkins. After the exchange took place, the first undercover FBI agent paid Jenkins $5,000 for his assistance in protecting this drug transaction. Jenkins then provided further protection by following the second undercover FBI agent from Hawkins Field Airport to Interstate 20 in Jackson.

At approximately 4:10 p.m. on June 25, 2010, JPD Officer Anthony Ricardo Payne, Jr., driving a JPD patrol vehicle, met the first undercover FBI agent in the main parking lot of Hawkins Field Airport for the purpose of providing police protection for another purported drug transaction. The undercover FBI agent informed Payne that the total drug shipment involved approximately 100 kilograms of cocaine. At approximately 4:15 p.m., a different undercover FBI Agent arrived and simulated the purchase of approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine from the first undercover FBI agent in the presence of Payne and Jefferson. After the exchange, the first undercover FBI agent paid Payne $5,000 for helping to protect the simulated drug transaction. Payne then provided further protection by following the third undercover FBI agent from Hawkins Field Airport to the vicinity of Hanging Moss Road in Jackson. After the simulated drug transactions were completed, at approximately 4:30 p.m., the undercover FBI agent paid Jefferson $6,000 in the Hawkins Field Airport parking lot for providing protection for the first undercover FBI agent during the aforementioned simulated drug transactions.

Jefferson and Jenkins will be sentenced on January 7, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Former Jackson Police Department Patrol Officer Anthony Ricardo Payne, Jr., is scheduled for trial before U.S. District Judge Dan Jordan on November 6, 2012.