Former Head of Dept. of Corrections Indicted on Federal Charges

The former head of the Mississippi Department of Corrections finds himself on the other side of the law as he and a Rankin County businessman appear in court on federal charges.

A 49 count federal indictment alleges former Mississippi Corrections Commissioner, Christopher Epps, accepted more than $700,000 in bribes from a Rankin County businessman, Cecil McCrory. According to the indictment, unsealed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Jackson, McCrory is also facing charges for allegedly paying Epps to obtain contracts for himself and other companies.

The indictment says McCrory was a paid consultant for companies that received contracts from the Corrections Department to run private prisons. Those companies were named in the indictment, but not charged. The indictment charges Epps used the bribe money to pay mortgages on a house in Flowood and a condominium in Pass Christian. Epps resigned Wednesday.

Governor Phil Bryant says, “Just disappointed. Obviously, whenever you find out that anyone is breaking the law, there’s some anger involved from my stand point as being a former auditor. It angers you that someone would have that kind of stupidity and corruption involved in state government.”