Two Copiah County natives have been sentenced in their involvement in a jail scam taking the money of an inmate’s relative.
Jabarius Neal, 29, and Tiffany McVane, 38, were sentenced after entering guilty pleas for defrauding a resident of Copiah County of $5,000 in an early release prison scheme. Copiah County Circuit Court Judge Lamar Pickard sentenced Neal to ten years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections for the charges of conspiracy and false pretense. He sentenced McVane to two years to serve for conspiracy in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
“We appreciate Judge Pickard for putting these defendants behind bars for their unacceptable crimes,” said General Hood. “Their scheme to obtain money from the victim who was innocently attempting to assist a relative is wrong and will not be tolerated.”
The pair told the victim that State Representative Gregory Holloway sponsored a program that would facilitate the early release of an elderly incarcerated relative for a fee of $5,000.00. Harvey paid the fee and subsequently contacted law enforcement when she realized that the “early release” program did not exist. Neal and McVane were arrested in November 2015.
