Jackson Free Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A former Jackson police officer pleaded guilty Wednesday to trying to bribe another officer with $10,000 to drop drug charges against one of his friends.

Tony Davis, 48, said little during the hearing in U.S. District Court in Jackson other than answering the judge's questions with short answers. Sentencing is set for March 31. He faces up to 10 years in prison.

Wearing a gray suit, Davis stood with his hands clasped behind his back as he pleaded guilty.

Davis admitted during the hearing that he tried to pay the other officer to make the drug case go away. Authorities did not disclose the person charged or details of the alleged offense.

Davis declined comment after the hearing. His lawyer, Philip Hearn, said it was "a sad day for everybody" but declined to comment further.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Rushing told the court that the other Jackson officer, who was not named, contacted the FBI in October 2010 to report Davis' bribery offer.

The FBI recorded a meeting in March 2011 in which Davis paid the officer $2,900 as a down payment, Rushing said.

Davis was indicted Oct. 3, 2012. He remains free on a $10,000 unsecured bond pending sentencing.

Another former officer, Robert Nikita Shegog, pleaded guilty to bribery in July for his role in a scheme to help a man get a reduced sentence in a drug case in exchange for $45,000. He told the court during his change of plea hearing that two other officers were involved in the scheme, though their names were not mentioned.

Shegog told the court that his cut was supposed to be $5,000 in cash or a commercial lawnmower.

It's not clear if Shegog's and Davis' case are connected.

Three other Jackson police officers were charged last year for allegedly protecting what they thought were shipments of cocaine at Hawkins Field airport in Jackson. That turned out to be an FBI sting.