The Associated Press
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Brenda Thomas, a Jackson Municipal Court deputy clerk, is accused of accepting money from drug gangs to erase their criminal records from the court’s computers, the state’s top drug enforcement official says.
Frank Melton, director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, said Thomas was informed of the obstruction of justice charge against her while at work on Thursday.
Thomas, who is assigned to court operations, was not taken into custody but was told to report to MBN headquarters, Melton said.
“I don’t believe she is a flight risk,” Melton said. “I didn’t want to embarrass her in the office. I do have the authority to make that call.”
Thomas could not be reached Thursday evening.
“Through her association with ... a local bail bondsman she has from time to time accepted money from violators and for that money she has destroyed arrest records and court records from the municipal court,” according to MBN documents outlining the allegations against Thomas.
The documents said the drug agency learned criminal records were allegedly being deleted from the court’s computer system while investigating two Jackson gangs -- The Wood Street Players and The Cohea Street Money Boys.
“We have very specific instances with specific individuals,” Melton said.
Melton released few details about cases erased from the system. He said he will make a “complete, full public disclosure as to what has been going on with the judicial system in Hinds County” when the investigation is complete.
He said one of the alleged instances involved removing pending drug charges and traffic tickets for about $2,000.
Municipal Court Services Administrator Jeannette Banks would not comment.
“I don’t know anything about what Mr. Melton is doing,” Banks said.
Hinds County District Attorney Faye Peterson said she hadn’t heard anything about computer records in Municipal Court being deleted.
“I would hope you couldn’t delete stuff quite that simply,” Peterson said. “Most law enforcement systems have layers of protection and duplication. You can find ways to do it, but I don’t know how municipal court operates.”