Jessica Chambers’ death investigation leads to arrests of 17 suspected gang members

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The FBI says 17 people have been charged in north Mississippi as a part of a major operation targeting suspected gang members called “Operation Bite Back.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Don Alway announced the indictments on Tuesday.

Officials say the operation focuses on Panola County and is a byproduct of the deep investigation that has come through the probe into the death of Jessica Chambers, a 19-year-old woman burned alive on Dec. 6, 2014, in Courtland. Just after 8 p.m., Chambers was doused with gasoline and set on fire in her car next to the gate to private land on Herron Road. She got out of the car and was found on the road with burns over most of her body. She died hours later at a hospital in Memphis.

Panola County Sheriff Dennis Darby told The Clarion-Ledger Tuesday’s arrests are not directly related to Chambers’ death, but to information gathered as authorities have interviewed more than 150 people and sorted through more than 20,000 phone records trying to find her killer.

FBI spokesman Jason Pack said as the FBI assisted state and local investigators, suspected illegal activity came to light and resulted in the indictments and arrests Tuesday morning. The indictments in both the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi and Mississippi’s 17th Circuit Court District charge the 17 suspects on a variety of violations ranging from child endangerment, possession of stolen firearms, narcotics sales and felon in possession of a firearm to possession of counterfeit currency.

Those charged are:

• Lyndon Mosely Jr., 24, distribution of crack cocaine
• Edward House, 39, distribution of powder cocaine and distribution of crack cocaine
• Joshua Cannon, 25, cocaine possession
• Anand Vijay Shegog, 39, sale of a controlled substance
• Mondarious Armstead, 23, public drunk; receiving stolen property; possession, sale, transfer of stolen firearm
• Gregory B. Andrews, 22, distribution of powder cocaine (x2)
• D’lirian Case, 18, attempt to pass counterfeit and passing counterfeit
• Janicholas Vankeith Scott, 34, sale of cocaine
• James Mosely Jr., 26, robbery, sale of cocaine, presenting false cocaine in state
• George Todd, 23, attempt to pass counterfeit
• Dedrick Ivery, 39, possession of controlled substance; child abuse; firearm enhancement; felon in possession of firearm in proximity to school/church
• Antonio Johnson, 28, possession of controlled substance with intent
• Xavier Hooks, 25, possession of gun by felon; possession of a stolen gun
• Kevin Windfield, 37, sale of controlled substance
• Elgin Lamar, 38, possession of controlled substance (x2); possession of controlled substance with intent, child endangerment (x2)
• Deon Smith, 20, passing counterfeit
• Stanley Coleman, 40, sale of cocaine (x4)