The Associated Press
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) -- The FBI and DEA distributed $840,000 in forfeited assets Tuesday to 15 local and state law enforcement agencies from Mississippi and Tennessee.
The assets had been seized in a pair of long-term undercover operations.
Authorities seized $1.7 million in property during a joint investigation in cases involving drug trafficking, public corruption, illegal gambling, bribery and other related offenses across North Mississippi and five other states.
The FBI-led “Operation Dirty Pool” and DEA-led “Operation Mojave Desert Snow” worked in cooperation with over 30 local law enforcement agencies to net 70 criminal convictions.
“We could have never hoped for more cooperation between these organizations,” said Jim Greenlee, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi. “It was flawless.”
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety/Mississippi Highway Patrol received $352,644.22 from the operations, and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics received $292,690.55.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, Lafayette County Metro Narcotics, Southaven Police Department, Itawamba County Sheriff’s Department and the state Department of Agriculture and Commerce also received smaller checks. Seven law enforcement agents and a district attorney general from Tennessee also received smaller checks.
A main part of the multistate investigation stemmed from a drug trafficking and money laundering network protected by several members of law enforcement and city leaders in Marshall County.