A Jackson man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after falsely claiming drugs, cash, and a firearm seized during a 2023 traffic stop, prosecutors said.
Madison and Rankin Counties District Attorney John K. “Bubba” Bramlett announced Thursday that Demarques Smith, 30, pleaded guilty in the Madison County Circuit Court to one count of hindering prosecution. Judge Dewey Arthur sentenced Smith to serve the full term in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
The case began Oct. 29, 2023, when Ridgeland police pulled over a vehicle for a tint violation and reported smelling marijuana. Officers said they found multiple drugs, cash, and a gun inside the car, leading to the arrest of the driver, Damien Mason, and his passenger.
Two days later, authorities said Smith appeared at the police department and attempted to claim the contraband. Investigators obtained Mason’s recorded jail calls, which reveals that he and Smith had arranged for Smith to take responsibility in hopes of receiving a lighter punishment as a first offender.
Mason also pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Prosecutors said he was sentenced as a nonviolent habitual offender to 13 years without the possibility of parole.
“Mr. Smith decided to help his friend out by making false statements to the police,” Bramlett said. “Instead of getting what he thought would be probation or a deferred sentence, he was sentenced to serve fifteen years in prison for hindering the prosecution of this case.”
