SHERIFF OF COUNTY IN MISSISSIPPI ARRESTED ON FEDERAL EXTORTION CHARGE

JACKSON - A northern Mississippi sheriff was arrested Wednesday on federal
charges of using his office to secure kickbacks from stolen drug money and
from a bail bond business wanting to operate in his county.

Tunica County Sheriff Jerry Ellington was taken into custody by federal
agents on extortion and bribery charges, said U.S. Attorney Jim Greenlee
and FBI Special Agent in Charge Edwin Worthington.

A four-count indictment was returned Monday.

"We have been investigating this for a long time," Greenlee said.

According to the indictment, from June 2002 to January Ellington took
kickbacks of more than $5,000 after promoting a Tunica County deputy to a
narcotics position, where the deputy could steal money from drug dealers
and split it with Ellington.

Ellington, 45, also allegedly took payoffs of more than $5,000 from a bail
bondsman from May to July. Ellington would take cash payments plus 30
percent of the premium on every bond written in exchange for allowing the
bondsman to operate in the county, the indictment charges. Ellington would
also allegedly refer people arrested by the sheriff's office to the bondsman.

Following his arrest, Ellington made an initial appearance before a federal
magistrate. A message left at Ellington's home seeking comment was not
immediately returned Wednesday, and it was unclear who his attorney was.

Ellington's arrest comes more than a month after 17 deputies claimed in a
federal lawsuit that Ellington threatened their jobs if they did not
support his re-election bid.

Ellington, who is in his first term, took office after his elected
predecessor in the largely rural county pleaded guilty to extortion. He
faces four opponents in the Aug. 5 Democratic Party primary.

James Dunn, president of the county board of supervisors, said Wednesday he
was aware of the arrest but knew no other details.

An employee at the Tunica County Sheriff's Office had no comment about
Ellington's arrest.

The deputies' lawsuit claimed Ellington told them their employment depended
on purchasing $25 tickets for a May campaign banquet and providing other
assistance to his campaign. It said several deputies bought the tickets "in
fear of losing their jobs."