HABITUAL OFFENDER SENTENCED TO 45 YEARS WITHOUT PAROLE BY RANKIN COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT
Rankin County, MS – Madison and Rankin Counties’ District Attorney John K. “Bubba” Bramlett, Jr., announced today that 40-year-old Mario DeCarlos Cole of Meridian, Mississippi, has been sentenced by the Rankin County Circuit Court to serve a total of forty-five (45) years and seven (7) months in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC). Because Cole was convicted as a Non-Violent Habitual Offender and a Subsequent Drug Offender, his sentences must be served day-for-day, meaning he will not be eligible for parole, probation, or any reduction in sentence.
The sentencing follows a March 2026 trial where a Rankin County jury found Cole guilty of Felony Shoplifting, Conspiracy to Commit Shoplifting, and Use of a Theft Detection Device Remover, alongside multiple felony drug counts, including Possession of Methamphetamine, Morphine, and Cocaine.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors presented proof of Cole’s extensive felony criminal history. His prior convictions include Sale of Cocaine (2013) and Manufacture of Marijuana while in Possession of a Firearm (2011), both out of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. These offenses mandated that Cole receive the maximum prescribed prison term for each felony conviction. Furthermore, because the current offenses involved controlled substances, his drug counts carried enhanced penalties under Mississippi’s Subsequent Drug Offender statute.
The underlying charges stemmed from a November 18, 2023, incident in which Flowood Police Department officers responded to a shoplifting call at the Belk department store in Dogwood Festival Market. Cole and a co-defendant were apprehended in a nearby vehicle parked outside a Dollar Tree, where officers uncovered the shoplifted merchandise along with Cocaine, Morphine, and Methamphetamine.
"This sentence sends a clear message that Rankin County will not be a haven for career criminals or retail theft rings," stated District Attorney Bramlett. "Through the hard work of the Flowood Police Department, the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory, and our prosecution team, a dangerous, repeat offender has been removed from our streets for a very long time. We will continue to aggressively protect our local businesses and neighborhoods from retail theft and illegal drug distribution." The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Greg Miles and Greta Mack Harris.
Defendant:
Name: Mario DeCarlos Cole
Date of Birth: 03/22/1986
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