Two Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Murder-for-Hire

JACKSON, MS—Acting U.S. Attorney Stan Harris announced that Charles W. Gavin and Charles McCullough were sentenced in U.S. District Court today on charges of conspiring to commit murder for hire. U.S. District Judge David Bramlette sentenced Gavin and McCullough to each serve 120 months in prison, the statutory maximum penalty allowed for the offense. They were convicted earlier this year of conspiring to murder Doug Evans, District Attorney for Mississippi’s Fifth Circuit Court District.

Gavin, currently serving time in the Yazoo Federal Prison on drug charges, conspired to develop a scheme to kill Mr. Evans because of a pending charge in Grenada County that could have resulted in a sentence of life without parole. McCullough, also serving time for drug violations in Yazoo, and working on behalf of Gavin, provided details to his girlfriend describing Mr. Evans and asking her to notify a “hitman” of a $20,000 fee and $2000 traveling expenses. The “hitman” was an undercover FBI Agent. After a seven day trial, including eight hours of deliberation, a jury found both defendants guilty.

The case was the result of a joint investigation involving the U. S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Prisons and other state and local law enforcement agencies. Assistant United States Attorneys Jerry Rushing and Mary Helen Wall successfully prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

Frederick T. Brink, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jackson, stated: "Investigations of this nature are not conducted by the FBI in a vacuum. The FBI would like to recognize the contributions of time and manpower from our state, local and federal partners, to include the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi; the Bureau of Prisons; the United States Marshal's Office; the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation; the Sheriffs' Offices of Pearl River County, Stone County; Forrest County; Madison County; and Hinds County; the Grenada Police Department; and the Grenada County District Attorney's Office."

Acting U.S. Attorney Harris praised the strong federal, state and local inter-agency partnership in prosecuting this case.

Press Releases | Jackson Home