Crime

Mississippi Supreme Court Upholds Life Sentence for Weed Possession

Published

4 years ago

June 21, 2022

The Mississippi Supreme Court has upheld a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for a man convicted of possessing less than two ounces of pot.

The Mississippi Supreme Court voted last week to uphold a life sentence without the possibility of parole for a man who was convicted of possessing less than three ounces of weed. The court voted 6-3 to confirm the penalty for the defendant, Allen Russell, who was sentenced under Mississippi’s habitual offender statute.

“Because the trial judge followed the law to the letter, we affirm,” Justice Robert P. Chamberlin wrote in the majority opinion quoted by the Epoch Times. “The trial judge did not have sentencing discretion in this case.”

Russell was arrested in 2017 for possessing five bags of cannabis weighing a combined total of 79.5 grams (just over 2.5 ounces) that police discovered while executing a search warrant. Lab analysis of two of the bags determined they contained 43.71 grams (about 1.54 ounces) of cannabis, and Russell was indicted on one charge of possessing more than 30 grams but less than 250 grams of cannabis.

Normally, a conviction on such a charge would carry a sentence of up to three years in prison. But Russell was also charged with being a violent habitual offender, subjecting him to a mandatory life sentence without parole upon conviction.

Sentenced Under Mississippi Habitual Offender Law

During his trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Russell had three prior felony convictions, two for burglary and one for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Under Mississippi state law, a burglary is considered a violent offense, even if no evidence of actual violence against a person is presented in a case.

Russell had pleaded guilty to the burglary charges in 2004 and was given two concurrent 15-year sentences. He spent a little more than 8.5 years in prison and was released in 2014, the same year that Mississippi law was changed to classify burglary as a violent crime, even if no evidence of violence is presented in court.

A jury found Russell guilty of the possession charge in 2019 and the court found that he was a violent habitual offender under the law, sentencing him to life behind bars. Russell then sued to overturn the sentence, arguing it violated his right to be protected from cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and his constitutional right not to be subjected to ex post facto laws.

Chief Justice Michael Randolph wrote in a separate concurring opinion that Russell’s life sentence was not solely for cannabis possession and that he had been treated leniently by the courts in previous criminal cases, noting that the defendant “is no stranger to the criminal justice system.”

“Russell has received a harsh punishment not because he possessed a small amount of marijuana, but because he has repeatedly refused to abide by the laws enacted to protect all the citizens of our state,” Randolph wrote.

The chief justice added that it is “pertinent to note that the arrest came while law enforcement was attempting to serve another drug-related warrant on Russell as well as execute a search warrant on his premises.”

Justice Josiah Coleman wrote in a dissenting opinion that Russell has been poorly treated by the courts. He noted that there is uncertainty regarding Russell’s criminal history, writing that “burglary was not considered a per se crime of violence until” state law was changed in 2014. The defendant “pled guilty to two counts of burglary in 2004,” 10 years after the change. But “burglary was only considered a crime of violence if actual violence took place during the burglary” before the law was changed. The dissenting judges questioned if Russell actually had a violent criminal history.

“Prior to July 1, 2014, burglary was only considered a crime of violence if actual violence took place during the burglary,” reads the dissenting opinion. “We do not know whether Russell’s burglaries involved actual violence, but the fact that he was allowed the opportunity by the sentencing court to participate in the Regimented Inmate Discipline Program tends to indicate they did not.”

Appeals Court Confirmed Sentence Last Year

Last year, an appeals court voted 5-5 in Russell’s case, with the tie vote not enough to overturn the sentence. In an opinion upholding the penalty, the judges wrote that the sentence is in accordance with state law. But several dissenting judges wrote that courts can and should make exceptions when warranted.

“The purpose of the criminal justice system is to punish those who break the law, deter them from making similar mistakes, and give them the opportunity to become productive members of society,” appeals court Judge Latrice Westbrooks wrote in the 2021 dissenting opinion. “The fact that judges are not routinely given the ability to exercise discretion in sentencing all habitual offenders is completely at odds with this goal.”

The case was then appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which upheld the sentence in last week’s decision.

A petition on Change.org organized by the group Check Your Privilege is calling on Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves to commute Russell’s life sentence. As of Tuesday, the petition had garnered more than 100,000 signatures.

“There is no amount of cannabis that should land someone a life sentence,” reads the petition. “Allen Russel was found guilty of possession in 2019 over just an ounce of weed, meanwhile laws around recreational use are softening all across the US.”

Mason Tvert, a longtime cannabis activist and partner at cannabis policy firm VS Strategies, criticized the sentence, suggesting it should be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

“It is tragically ironic that this man’s life is being taken away from him for possessing a substance which, used alone, has never taken a life,” Tvert wrote in an email to High Times. “This case certainly warrants further review and ought to be reversed.”

Source: https://hightimes.com/news/mississippi-supreme-court-upholds-life-sentence-for-weed-possession/

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Crime

Police Uncover ₹3.90-Crore Land Registration Fraud, Online Portals Exploited

Published

3 days ago

January 17, 2026

Jon Tru

Warangal police have uncovered a sophisticated land registration fraud worth ₹3.90 crore, revealing how criminals exploited technical loopholes in Telangana’s online land registration systems to divert government revenue while generating documents that appeared fully legitimate.

What initially looked like routine land registrations across multiple districts turned out to be a coordinated digital scam that manipulated official fee payments on state-run portals. The investigation has so far led to 15 arrests and exposed serious vulnerabilities in the digitisation of land records.

Fraud Leveraged Weaknesses in Online Land Portals

According to police, the accused exploited gaps in the Dharani portal and its successor, the Bhu Bharathi platform, which are used for land registration and fee payments in Telangana.

Warangal Commissioner of Police Sunpreet Singh said the network used a mobile application and technical expertise to tamper with online challans at the payment stage. The accused allegedly paid reduced registration fees to the government but altered the digital receipts to reflect higher amounts. These forged challans were then submitted during land registrations, allowing transactions to proceed without raising immediate suspicion.

The manipulated receipts were routed through intermediaries and presented at Tahsildar offices, embedding the fraud within normal administrative processes.

Over 1,000 Documents Manipulated, ₹3.90 Crore Loss Estimated

Police have registered 22 cases so far—seven in Jangaon district and 15 in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district. Investigators estimate that at least 1,080 land documents were processed using forged payment receipts, causing a direct loss of approximately ₹3.90 crore to the state exchequer.

During raids, law enforcement seized ₹63.19 lakh in cash, property documents valued at nearly ₹1 crore, a car, two laptops, five desktop computers and 17 mobile phones. Authorities confirmed that nine additional suspects are still absconding, and further arrests are expected.

Middlemen and Service Centres Played Key Role

Investigators identified three individuals from Yadadri district—Pasunari Basavaraju, Jella Pandu and Maheshwaram Ganesh—as key conspirators in the operation.

Police said the trio worked with staff from Mee-Seva centres and private computer service centres operating in Jangaon, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri and Nalgonda districts. The group allegedly recruited middlemen who facilitated agricultural land registrations using forged digital documents, earning commissions of 10% to 30% per transaction.

These intermediaries acted as the bridge between landowners, service centres and the falsified online records, enabling the fraud to scale across districts.

Authorities Flag Risks in Rapid Digitisation

Senior officials said the case underscores how digitisation—while designed to improve transparency and efficiency—can create new opportunities for technology-driven fraud if systems are not adequately secured.

Commissioner Sunpreet Singh praised the investigation team for dismantling the network, specifically commending officers from the West Zone, Jangaon district and Raghunathpally division for their coordinated effort. Cash rewards have been announced for the officers involved.

Police said financial trails are still being examined to identify additional beneficiaries and recover the remaining diverted funds. The investigation remains ongoing.

Crime

ED Recovers Almirah Full of Cash Worth Crores, Luxury Vehicles and Mining Documents in Odisha Illegal Mining Probe

Published

3 days ago

January 17, 2026

Jon Tru

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has uncovered a massive cache of unaccounted wealth during a series of searches linked to an alleged illegal mining and money laundering network in Odisha, officials said on Friday.

According to sources, the Bhubaneswar Zonal Office of the ED conducted coordinated search operations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, recovering an almirah packed with cash worth several crores of rupees, along with luxury vehicles and key documents connected to mining leases and immovable properties.

The searches form part of an ongoing investigation into suspected large-scale laundering of proceeds generated from illegal mining activities across the state.

Multiple Locations Searched Under PMLA

The agency carried out searches at several premises associated with individuals and business entities believed to be part of a wider illegal mining syndicate. Acting under Section 17 of the PMLA, which authorizes search and seizure of assets suspected to be proceeds of crime, investigators reportedly seized:

Large quantities of liquid cash stored in an almirah
High-end luxury vehicles with unclear or concealed ownership details
Documents related to land, real estate holdings, and financial transactions
Mining lease agreements and records indicating possible regulatory breaches

Officials believe these materials may offer crucial evidence of how illicit mining revenues were generated, layered, and concealed.

Mining Proceeds Allegedly Laundered Through Cash and Assets

Investigators suspect that illegal extraction and transportation of minerals were carried out in violation of environmental regulations, mining laws, and lease conditions. The profits from these activities were allegedly converted into cash and assets to avoid detection by financial regulators.

The recovery of substantial physical cash—rather than funds routed through formal banking channels—has heightened concerns of deliberate attempts to bypass financial oversight and anti-money laundering controls.

The ED is examining whether the seized funds originated directly from illegal mining operations or were routed through shell entities, contractors, or benami arrangements.

Luxury Vehicles and Properties Under Investigation

Among the significant finds were luxury vehicles believed to have been registered under proxy names or complex ownership structures, a tactic frequently used to obscure the identity of the real beneficiaries.

Property-related documents and mining agreements seized during the raids are now under detailed scrutiny to determine:

Whether mining leases were fraudulently obtained, misused, or unlawfully extended
Whether real estate purchases were financed using proceeds of crime
The possible involvement of public officials, facilitators, or intermediaries

Officials said forensic audits and document verification exercises will be carried out to trace the complete money trail.

Part of Wider Push Against Illegal Mining

Odisha, one of India’s most mineral-rich states, has long faced allegations of illegal mining, environmental damage, and loss of public revenue. In recent years, central agencies have stepped up action against mining syndicates where violations overlap with financial crimes and money laundering.

Under the PMLA framework, assets identified as proceeds of crime can be provisionally attached, followed by adjudication and eventual confiscation if the accused are convicted.

Investigation Ongoing

ED sources indicated that further questioning and summons are likely as investigators analyze the seized cash, documents, and digital records. The agency may also move to provisionally attach properties and vehicles linked to the suspected laundering network.

No arrests have been announced so far, and officials emphasized that the probe is still at a critical evidence-gathering stage.

Corporate Crime

Indore IT Raid Storm: BR Goyal Infrastructure’s Sapna-Sangita Office Sealed in Massive Tax Evasion, Hawala Probe

Published

6 days ago

January 14, 2026

Jon Tru

Indore — The Income Tax Department conducted a massive, coordinated pre-dawn raid on BR Goyal Infrastructure Limited, focusing on its Sapna-Sangita Road office, director residences, and suspected hawala networks across the city. Over 20 IT squads, supported by heavy police deployment, are scrutinizing financial records, digital devices, and ledgers for evidence of tax evasion, benami assets, and black money routing.

Dawn Raid Blitz

The operation targeted multiple locations, including:

BR Goyal’s main office (Sapna-Sangita Road)
Bicholi Hapsi construction sites
Residence of chairman Bridge Kishore Goyal

Focus areas include high-value highway tenders, RMC (Ready Mix Concrete) operations, real estate projects like BRG Hill View, and cross-state toll collections. Hawala operators allegedly facilitating tender commissions and black money transfers were also under the scanner.

Digital Forensics and Ledger Seizures

IT teams deployed laptop imaging units, mobile forensic vans, and server seizure squads to extract:

Contract payment ledgers (NHAI, PWD, toll plazas)
Sub-contractor hawala settlements
Benami property records
Shell company transaction trails
Foreign remittance patterns

Sources report over 5,000 pages of documents seized, with bulk cash detection underway. Chairman Bridge Kishore Goyal and key accounts personnel have been detained for questioning under IT Act survey provisions.

Hawala-Tender Nexus Under Investigation

The probe focuses on alleged tender manipulation, including:

Commission kickbacks via hawala to officials
Benami firms claiming sub-contracts
RMC over-invoicing and ghost suppliers
Toll plaza revenue siphoning

BR Goyal Infrastructure recently secured a ₹86.7 crore NHAI toll plaza project (Jan 12, 2026), now under scrutiny for potential financial irregularities.

Industry Implications

The raids have sent shockwaves across MP’s infrastructure corridor:

Contractors revising compliance audits
RMC suppliers preparing for supply chain investigations
Toll operators enhancing digital audit trails
Real estate firms disclosing benami holdings

Officials indicate that the crackdown forms part of the IT Department’s aggressive 2026 mandate targeting large-scale tax evasion, hawala networks, and undeclared offshore accounts.