Former MPD Officer Has Been Charged Federally With Extortion

Former officer, Royric “Roy” Benamon was arrested Wednesday after an indictment from the U.S Attorney’s Office in Jackson and the FBI Mississippi Office.

The indictment was unsealed, August 13, and charges former MPD officer, 27-year-old Royric “Roy” Benamon, who had been with the department since 2017, with two counts of extortion under color of official right.

According to the indictment, in April of this year, while still an officer, on two separate occasions, Benamon pulled over drivers in the middle of the night in Lauderdale County, and received from each of them cash payment in exchange for not issuing the driver a ticket. He then resigned from the Meridian Police Department following public disclosure of the alleged incidents.

The city of Meridian's Chief Administrative Officer, Eddie Kelly, gave a statement regarding the recent indictment of former officer, Royric Benamon.

“Officer Benanom resigned on April 26th of this year. He was found in violation of civil service rules and regulations. He’s current facing federal charges and will have his day in court, and we wish him well,” said Eddie Kelly, CAO of Meridian.

FBI Agents and Task Force Officers arrested Benamon on Wednesday, August 12, and the following day, he appeared for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Linda Anderson in Jackson. Benamon has been released on bond and has a trial date set for October 5, before Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan, III in Jackson.

In a statement concerning the indictment U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst said, “Fighting public corruption is a top priority of this office, as our society is undermined when those in positions of power become corrupted and abuse the public trust for personal gain. We will continue to root out corrupt officials who endanger our communities and tarnish the reputation of our law enforcement who serve and protect us so honorably."

If found guilty, Benamon faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for each count charged for extortion under color of official right, each count charged can also merit a fine of up to $250,00.