Leake County Man Sentenced to 19 years in Prison for Attempted Coercion of Minor

Jackson, MS - A Leake County man was sentenced to nineteen years for attempted coercion of a minor in U.S. District Court in Jackson, announced U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Jackson Office.

According to court documents, Edison Jefferson, 41, of the Red Water Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation used the internet and a cellular phone to contact a person in Texas that he believed to be a 15-year-old minor. Testimony during the trial established that the person he was actually communicating with was an undercover police officer posing as a 15-year-old minor. Testimony further established that he sent sexually explicit messages, requested nude images, and attempted to coerce the person he believed to be a minor to travel to Mississippi from Texas for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity.

In January of 2026, a federal grand jury indicted Jefferson on the charges of Attempted Coercion and Enticement, Attempted Coercion and Enticement to Travel to Engage in Sexual Activity, and Attempted Production of Child Pornography. On August 11, 2026, after a seven-day trial, a jury found Jefferson guilty on all counts.

Jefferson was sentenced to serve nineteen years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. He was also assessed $1,500.00 fine. Once released from prison, Jefferson must register as a sex offender.

United States Attorney Kruger commended the work of the Taylor County Sheriff's Department in Abeline, Texas, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Safe Trails Task Force, who investigated the case.

The Safe Trails Task Force is comprised of officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Choctaw Police Department, Leake County Sheriff's Department, Carthage Police Department, and various state and local law enforcement agencies.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kalleigh McCoy.