Federal grand jury indicts six in alleged meth conspiracy

By Staff
From staff reports
Sept. 27, 2002
A federal grand jury has indicted six people in an alleged conspiracy to transport methamphetamine from California for sale in Lauderdale County.
U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton released the indictments into the public record Thursday night.
The case was investigated by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and presented to a federal grand jury because the drugs were transported across state lines using Airborne Express.
Lt. Al Brown of the East Mississippi Drug Task Force said local officers were also involved in the sting operation that culminated in the arrests.
Grand jurors said they did not know when the criminal activity began but that it continued until July 25, 2002.
The alleged organizer of the drug distribution conspiracy was Michael Lee Hodges. Also indicted were James Floyd Thompson, Kimberly R. Hancock, Angela Michelle Route, Johnny D. Brewster and Vivian C. Tingle.
Elsewhere in East Mississippi, other federal indictments were handed down against:
Willie B. Cheeks, who allegedly stole more than $1,000 worth of gaming tokens from the Silver Star Hotel and Casino on Sept. 14;
Harry Adolph Laffite, an employee of the U.S. Postal Service accused of embezzling money from stamp vending machines in Clarke County on March 22; and
Willie P. Corbett, who allegedly falsified travel expenses in July 1998 relating to his position as chairman of Maintenance of Way Employees, Lodge 16, in Union.