As violent crime in Jackson continues to surge, federal, state and community leaders made a promise to work together during a crime summit, but offered few tangible gains Tuesday night.
Jackson City Council President Aaron Banks, who organized the summit, said the meeting was an all-hands-on-deck forum to tackle the community s surge of gun violence and present a united front moving forward.
It comes as the city s homicide rate continues to surge in 2021 and is on pace to overshadow last year s historic total of 130 deaths. Nearly all of those deaths were gun-related, according to records kept by the Clarion Ledger.
Banks calls special city council meeting on crime “Tackling Jackson’s crime crisis”
Banks calls special city council meeting on crime “Tackling Jackson’s crime crisis”
Thompson
With violent crime constantly climbing in the city of Jackson, Aaron Banks, president of the Jackson City Council, held a special council meeting in the form of a town hall at New Horizon International Church Tuesday night, with major emphasis on “Tackling Jackson’s Crime Crisis.” The meeting was live streamed on
Webelievedigital.com and other social media outlets.
U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson, as well as other government officials representing Hinds Count Sheriff’s Department, Hinds County Supervisors, Hinds County Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Narcotics, Highway Patrol, U.S. Attorney’s Office and others convened with the mayor and city council members in an effort to tackle a growing crime problem in the city of Jackson.
Mississippi Medical Examiner resigns after being on leave
January 29, 2021 GMT
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Mississippi State Medical Examiner Dr. Mark Levaughn has resigned, more than two months after he was placed on administrative leave for an undisclosed “personnel matter.”
Department of Public Safety Spokesman Chris Vignes confirmed with WLBT-TV on Thursday that Levaughn was stepping down.
Levaughn was placed on leave in November. Mississippi Department of Public Safety officials haven’t said why, and no criminal charges have been filed against Levaughn.
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Levaughn spent around a decade with the State Medical Examiner’s office. His departure comes as the state’s underfunded and overburdened death investigations unit is facing a slew of backlogs and delays.
Ex-wrestler pleads guilty in Mississippi embezzlement scheme
December 17, 2020 GMT
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) A former wrestler has pleaded guilty to a felony charge stemming from an embezzlement scheme that officials say took millions of dollars away from needy Mississippi residents.
Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens said Thursday that Brett DiBiase pleaded guilty to one count of making fraudulent statements for the purpose of defrauding the government, the Clarion Ledger reported.
DiBiase and five other people were arrested in February after an audit found millions of dollars in federal welfare money had been misappropriated from the Mississippi Department of Human Services. DiBiase served as deputy administrator for the agency.
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Brett DiBiase entered a guilty plea regarding making false statements in order to defraud the government. DiBiase pleaded guilty before Judge Tomie Green in Hinds County Circuit Court Thursday morning in Jackson. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
During his televised wrestling days, Mississippi’s famed “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase adopted the phrase: “Every man has his price.”
For his son, that price was $48,000.
On Thursday, Brett DiBiase, also a retired wrestler, admitted to his role in defrauding Mississippi’s welfare agency. This is the latest development within a broader embezzlement scheme that the state auditor’s office is calling the largest in state history. DiBiase, a Clinton, Mississippi native, is now a state’s witness in the case.