Tallahatchie Sheriff Allegedly Involved in Illegal Activity for 15 Years

By Alyssa Schnugg
Staff writer
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

According to a criminal complaint filed Friday, Tallahatchie County Sheriff William Brewer has allegedly been involved in selling drugs, extortion and bribery for 15 years.

William Brewer, 58, a resident of Oakland was charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance from June 2003 through June 12, 2018, and extortion and bribery in violation of the Hobbs Act, also from June 12, 2018, through July 26, 2018.
Details on the charges are not available since the affidavits filed against Brewer are restricted from public access at this time.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Hobbs Act prohibits actual or attempted robbery of extortion affecting interstate or foreign commerce. Although the Hobbs Act was enacted in 1946 to combat racketeering in labor-management disputes, it’s still frequently used in connection with cases involving public corruption.
A preliminary and detention hearing will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Federal Courthouse in Oxford before U.S. Magistrate Judge Roy Percy.
Brewer is being represented by Kevin Horan of Horan & Horan, PLLC in Grenada.
Brewer has been in office for about 20 years. He was first appointed to the post when the previous sheriff died in office. He then was elected to the position multiple times.
If convicted, Brewer faces up to 20 years in prison on each count, along with fines ranging from $250,000 to $1,000,000 per count.
A representative from the Mississippi Sheriff’s Association said the MSA had no official comment on Brewer’s arrest.