JACKSON MAN SENTENCED TO FIFTEEN YEARS FOR FALSELY CLAIMING DRUGS

Madison and Rankin Counties’ District Attorney John K. “Bubba” Bramlett announced today that Demarques Smith, 30, of Jackson, pled guilty to hindering prosecution in Madison Circuit Court and was sentenced yesterday to serve 15 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. 

On October 29, 2023, officers with the Ridgeland Police Department initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle for a tint violation and smelled marijuana coming from the car. After a short search of the vehicle, the officer located various drugs, cash, and a gun in the car. The officers arrested both the driver, Damien Mason and his passenger. Two days later, Demarques Smith came to RPD and attempted to claim the drugs, money and gun. A detective from RPD got a subpoena and obtained Mason’s jail calls. Telephone conversations between Smith and Mason during those calls revealed an agreement between the two for Smith to falsely claim the drugs since Smith would merely be a first offender, whereas Mason would a habitual offender, if convicted. 

Smith pled guilty to one count of hindering prosecution and was sentenced to fifteen years in custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Mason also elected to plead guilty, to possession of controlled substance and felon in possession of a firearm, as a non-violent habitual offender, and was sentenced to thirteen years to serve without the possibility of parole. 

District Attorney Bramlett stated, “Mr. Smith decided to help his friend out by making false statements to the police. Instead of getting what he thought would be probation or a deferred sentence, he was sentenced to serve fifteen years in prison for hindering the prosecution of this case.” 

Defendant: 

Name: DEMARQUES L. SMITH ,JR 

DOB: 11/07/1994 

###