EX-JPD SERGEANT ENTERS GUILTY PLEA IN DRUG CASE

Gaddis One Of 7 Officers Accused Of Taking Payoffs

Fredrick Gaddis, one of seven Jackson police officers accused last year of
taking payoffs to escort drug dealers, pleaded guilty Friday, thus cutting
the maximum time he faces in prison by 12 years.

His plea before U.S. District Judge William Barbour came a day after former
Jackson Police Department Patrolman Tim Henderson and former Detective
Wallace Jones drew the harshest prison terms of other officers sentenced.

Gaddis, 38, a former Precinct 3 sergeant in charge of a drug unit, was
scheduled to go on trial Monday on an extortion charge, which carries a
maximum of 20 years imprisonment upon conviction.

But Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Burkhalter said Gaddis agreed Thursday to
plead guilty to two counts of use of a communications facility in a drug
crime. Gaddis now faces a maximum eight years in prison.

John Colette, Gaddis' lawyer, was in the courtroom Thursday when Barbour
sentenced Henderson to eight years and Jones to four years.

Colette would not comment when asked whether the sentencings affected
Gaddis' decision to plead before Barbour Friday evening. Gaddis also would
not comment.

Gaddis, an officer for 13 years, is set to be sentenced Feb. 15. He remains
free on bond.

Gaddis pleaded guilty to accepting $1,000 for providing protection of a
shipment of 10 kilograms of cocaine March 16, 2000, and to accepting $1,000
for providing protection for 10 kilograms of cocaine on June 2, 2000. He
used a telephone and a pager to arrange the protection, according to
prosecutors.

Burkhalter said the government was prepared to present "absolutely
overwhelming evidence" against Gaddis, including still and video
photographs of the escorts, taped conversations and the testimony of two
informants and former JPD Sgt. Ronald Youngblood, who worked with Gaddis in
Precinct 3.

Youngblood's cooperation with authorities led to the indictments against
Gaddis and Henderson in the same sting operation that netted a total of six
officers. Jones was indicted in a separate FBI investigation.

Cases against two other officers charged with Gaddis and Henderson have
ended in convictions, either by trial or plea. Charges against another
officer, Joe Wade, were dismissed.

Charges against Youngblood were dismissed without prejudice Dec. 14,
meaning they could be brought up again. "That issue is being considered by
our office right now," Burkhalter said of prosecuting Youngblood.

Burkhalter said the nearly concluded prosecutions of the six officers bring
closure to an era of corruption in the city.

"The city can now put this behind them and a hovering cloud can be removed
from the (police) department," he said. "This allows good police officers
to get along with their jobs without any doubt lingering from the public."

However, Ward 3 City Councilman Kenneth Stokes, who lives in Precinct 3,
said he has doubts about the entire investigation.

"I am concerned about the issue of entrapment," he said. "I do believe that
some of these officers were good officers and simply because of bad
judgment and entrapment some of their careers and lives have been
destroyed. I feel there are crooked police officers in JPD but I don't
think a vast majority of the crooked officers were set up in the sting."
Also charged were Stanley Butler and Nate Thomas, both eight-year officers.
Butler was sentenced to a year in prison in May after being convicted Feb.
23 of taking two $200 payments on Feb. 7 and 14, 2000.

Thomas pleaded guilty Feb. 7. He accepted $150 payments eight times between
Aug. 24-Oct. 12, 1999. He was sentenced to four months' imprisonment and
five months' house arrest in April.