Henderson sentenced on firearm, drug charges
A Starkville man will spend six years behind bars on the counts of possession of a stolen firearm and sale of cocaine after being sentenced in Mississippi District 16 Circuit Court in Oktibbeha County Tuesday.
With Circuit Court Judge Lee Howard presiding, 30-year-old Justin Henderson pleaded guilty to both charges. He will serve six years in prison plus five years under post-release supervision on the two charges. The sentences will be served consecutively. Henderson will also be required to pay $500 in fines and court costs for each charge, making a total of $1,000.
An additional charge of sale of marijuana was dropped. Henderson has no prior felony convictions.
On Jan. 30, Henderson was interviewed in conjunction with a burglary investigation, and was found to be in possession of a single-shot 16-gauge shotgun with the serial number destroyed.
He claimed to have purchased the shotgun from his ex-girlfriend's mother for $80. According to his statement, he later learned the gun
was stolen, and offered to sell it back to the original owner. However, the gun remained in his possession until it was seized by the Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Office after his arrest.
On May 1, 2018, Henderson sold .48 grams of cocaine to a Metro Narcotics Task Force informant at the price of $60. The purchase was made in the 100 block of Garrard Road, and was caught on surveillance by law enforcement.
The substance was confirmed to be cocaine after testing at the Columbus Crime Lab.
OTHER CIRCUIT COURT CASES
Howard also heard another plea from 39-year old Larrita Conner.
Conner will serve 10 years of non-adjudicated probation after pleading guilty to two counts of making fraudulent statements. Eight additional counts of fraudulent statements were retired, along with one count of computer fraud.
Conner has no prior felony charges.
The counts show that on Feb. 21, 2014 and Jan. 11, 2015, Conner, who also used the last name Chandler, filed falsified tax returns in the name of Timothy Bailey. In the first count, Conner reported a $37,485 business loss consisting of $4,109 in reported sales and $41,595 in reported expenses. In the second count, she filed a return showing a $44,903 business loss consisting of $1,948 in sales and $46,851 in expenses. Bailey identified Conner as the person filing returns for him, and confirmed that at no point did he ask her to include the listed expense amounts on the returns and that the expenses were falsified and not justifiable claims.
She will pay restitution in the amount of $17,746 to the state of Mississippi.
Tocarra Bell was given until Thursday morning to find a different attorney to represent him as he faces charges of felony fleeing and felony possession of a firearm.
Circuit Court Judge Lee Coleman stated that if Bell does not have a new lawyer on his case by the Thursday morning deadline, the case will go to trial Thursday as originally planned.
Bell claimed his family would help him foot the $2,000 bill for representation by attorney Jim Brown.