A former Mississippi policeman involved in a major drug trafficking bribery scheme that ensnared 20 individuals, including two sheriffs, has been sentenced to prison time.
Ex-Greenville officer and Mississippi Department of Corrections employee Martavis Moore, 32, will spend seven and a half years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to aid and abet the possession of transportation and distribution of illegal narcotics, as well as attempting to do the same. In addition to his time behind bars, Moore will serve three years of supervised release.
Moore is said to have taken a $5,000 bribe to protect the transport of around 25 kilograms of cocaine through the Mississippi Delta in March 2023. The money is reported to have come from an FBI agent posing as a Mexican drug cartel member. According to the Department of Justice’s indictment against Moore, he was also possessing a firearm when helping transport the drugs.
“Moore’s conduct was both shocking and a profound betrayal of the public’s trust. When someone in a position of authority commits such a reprehensible crime, the harm extends far beyond the community they swore to serve,” FBI Special Agent in Charge of the FBI-Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff said. “The FBI and our partners will aggressively pursue cases like this and hold those who abuse positions of trust fully accountable, no matter their position or title.”
Moore is one of six people connected to the drug trafficking scheme who has admitted criminal conduct. Former Greenville police officer Chaka Gaines notably pleaded not guilty and was cleared by a jury in April. More sentencings are scheduled to take place in the case over the summer.
