JACKSON – The last of 16 defendants has been sentenced for his role in the Benton County Voter Fraud case, said Attorney General Jim Hood. David Massey, 40, of Hickory Flat, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit voter fraud and three counts of voter fraud.
Massey entered an open plea before Benton County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Howorth, meaning that he refused to accept the state’s recommended sentence, and threw himself on the mercy of the court, Hood said.
Judge Howorth sentenced Massey to five years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) with five years to serve. He must also pay a $5,000 fine and he was ordered to report to the Benton County jail immediately.
The judge retained jurisdiction over the case for 365 days.
Initially, Massey was offered a plea deal for a suspended sentence to testify against his fellow defendants, but he was later charged with the sale of a controlled substance, which negated the plea offer.
Massey’s sentencing ends a three-year investigation related to a 16 defendant indictment.
All of the defendants have either plead guilty or were found guilty of vote buying in Benton County related to elections in 2007.
“This is an election year and a good time to remind folks that vote buying will not be tolerated in this state,” said Attorney General Hood.
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