KEY COP IN PAYOFF PROBE GETS 2 YEARS

Ex-JPD Officer's Cooperation Cited In Other Convictions

A former Jackson police sergeant, whose cooperation with the FBI led to the
convictions of four fellow officers for pocketing cash to protect people
posing as drug dealers, will self-report to federal prison Sept. 1.

Ronald Youngblood, 37, of Prentiss, was sentenced Friday to two years and
one month in prison, and a year of supervised release. Youngblood was the
first police officer investigated during a 15-month FBI sting operation and
the last to be sentenced.

Youngblood's sentence was "extremely light" compared with the eight-year
sentences former Sgt. Frederick Gaddis and ex-Patrolman Tim Henderson
received for taking payoffs, U.S. District Judge William H. Barbour Jr.
said.

"I frankly was surprised that you were charged with an offense that produces
such a low guideline range," Barbour said.

Charged with failing to report a felony, Youngblood faced up to three years
in prison, one year supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

The government recommended 10 to 16 months because Youngblood's
"extraordinary cooperation" saved the government untold manhours and
thousands of dollars, Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Burkhalter said.

"We would have never convicted a single police officer if it had not been
for that cooperation," Burkhalter said.

Burkhalter said as many as 15 more police officers could have been charged,
but a leak at the police department ended the investigation.

"It's our belief that we could have prosecuted more," Burkhalter said.

Burkhalter said it took longer to charge Youngblood, indicted in March,
because prosecutors had to decide what the appropriate charge would be.

Youngblood was among six officers, including Gaddis and Henderson, arrested
in 2000.

Court records show Youngblood witnessed an FBI confidential witness pay $150
to a police officer to provide protection for alleged drug activities.

Barbour questioned whether Youngblood, who pleaded guilty April 18, was
"just as guilty or more guilty" than the other police officers.

"Frankly, it's hard for me to differentiate your situation from that of
Gaddis and Henderson," Barbour said.

Between July 6, 1999, and Feb. 2, 2000, Youngblood received a total of
$5,510 on 22 separate occasions in exchange for police protection in alleged
drug trafficking activities, Barbour said.

Youngblood also went to the Greyhound bus station in uniform in his patrol
car to help an alleged drug dealer transport two kilograms of cocaine.

Gaddis took two $1,000 payoffs, and Henderson took two $500 payments for
protecting cocaine shipments.

After sentencing in February 2002, Gaddis said, "There is hell for
Youngblood. ... He has demons to deal with."

Youngblood's attorney, Cynthia Stewart, said threats had been made on
Youngblood's life and he has had to hide out with relatives.

Stewart said Youngblood could be at risk from other inmates because he is a
former police officer and from other police officers that he cooperated
against.

Before the sentencing, Youngblood, a 13-year veteran before resigning in
2000, apologized to the court and to his former co-workers. He said he was
ready to put the investigation behind him and move on.

Said Barbour to Youngblood: "It is shocking that a police officer would do
what you did."