OXFORD, MS – Dillon Heffker, 33, of New Orleans, Louisiana, will spend the next 35 years of his life behind bars after being sentenced Thursday for his role in a sprawling racketeering conspiracy tied to the violent Simon City Royals (SCR) gang. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills, stems from a brutal prison murder and a litany of other crimes perpetrated by the gang within Mississippi’s correctional system and beyond.
Federal prosecutors detailed how Heffker participated in the criminal activities of the SCR, a national prison gang with a strong foothold in the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The SCR, in alliance with the Gangster Disciples, allegedly engaged in murder, attempted murder, assault, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, witness tampering, money laundering, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, and large-scale drug trafficking. The gang’s reach extended far beyond prison walls, impacting communities throughout Mississippi, Louisiana, and other states.
The core of the case centered on the January 31, 2018, murder of a fellow SCR member, identified as B.F., at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility. Court records reveal that Heffker and another inmate were ordered to kill B.F., who was suspected of murdering another SCR member. Upon B.F.’s release from solitary confinement, Heffker and his accomplice ambushed him in a prison pod, brutally stabbing him multiple times as the attack moved from the second floor to the first-floor shower area. The entire incident was captured on video. Responding medical personnel found B.F. bleeding and in a fetal position on the shower floor.
The investigation uncovered that the SCR organization paid Heffker and his accomplice for the hit. Following the attack, witnesses observed one of the inmates passing the homemade shanks used in the murder to a SCR leader, who then concealed the weapons. Heffker pleaded guilty on October 5, 2023, to Count One of an indictment charging him with RICO conspiracy. Judge Mills called the crime “one of the more serious crimes” he’d seen, and sentenced Heffker to 420 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner emphasized the significance of the sentence, stating, “Several years ago, the Simon City Royals…were the driving force behind an explosion of violence in Mississippi prisons. Today’s sentence, as well as the almost 50 other recent prosecutions of the gang and its affiliates, should send a clear message that we will use every tool at our disposal to prosecute those who commit such heinous acts from behind bars or elsewhere.” ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson added that the case demonstrates a commitment to protecting communities and holding violent offenders accountable.
The investigation was a joint effort involving the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi. DEA officials stated the sentence underscores their dedication to dismantling violent drug trafficking organizations. The prosecution of Heffker and the SCR represents a sustained effort to dismantle the gang’s operations and bring its members to justice, aiming to curb the violence that plagued Mississippi’s prison system for years.
Related Federal Cases
- Willie Richard Short, Conspiracy to Transport Stolen Goods, Loxley … · Florida
- Laquentin Brown, Sex Trafficking Conspiracy, New Orleans LA, 2023 · Illinois
- Ambrose Williams, Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin, New Orleans LA, … · Louisiana
- Tommy Thompson, Cocaine Hydrochloride Conspiracy, LA, 2023 · Louisiana
- Jeremy James Wimberly, Methamphetamine Conspiracy, TX, 2014 · Texas
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Organized Crime|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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