Holmes County Man Stole 41 Guns in Kosciusko Heist

Corey Hughes, 36, of Holmes County, busted through the side of Central Mississippi Firearms in Kosciusko, Mississippi, at 2:30 a.m. on July 28, 2014, ripping open the building like a can of cheap beer and walking out with 41 stolen guns. The brazen heist marked the start of a black-market firearms spree across the state, with Hughes and a network of accomplices flooding streets in Durant and Lexington with high-powered weapons.

Hughes and co-defendant Estelle Cook slashed their way into the store, tearing metal like paper, then vanished into the night with an arsenal. Hughes personally sold at least one of the stolen firearms to Jermaine Griffin for $100—chump change for a weapon that could kill. The group moved fast, unloading a dozen of the stolen guns to fuel underground trade. Each sale was a spark waiting to ignite violence.

A federal grand jury indicted Hughes, Cook, Darnell Branch, and Frederick Russell on October 3, 2017, charging them with conspiracy to possess and sell stolen firearms. That same day, Jermaine Griffin was separately indicted for receiving and possessing a stolen firearm. The dragnet closed in fast, with law enforcement tracing the flow of guns like bloodstains through the Delta.

On February 13, 2018, Hughes pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court before Judge Carlton Reeves to being a felon in possession of a firearm—a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. His sentencing is set for June 11, 2018, in Jackson. Hughes became the fourth defendant to enter a guilty plea in the sprawling case.

Frederick Russell pleaded guilty to conspiracy on January 10, 2018, and faces up to 5 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for March 29, 2018. Jermaine Griffin, who bought the stolen gun, admitted guilt on January 18, 2018, and now faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on April 19, 2018, by Judge Tom S. Lee. Estelle Cook also pleaded guilty last week to being a felon in possession of a firearm and will be sentenced on May 15, 2018, by Judge Reeves.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led the investigation, tracking shell casings, serial numbers, and street chatter to piece together the operation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Case is prosecuting. These stolen guns didn’t vanish—they circulated, threatening communities long after the burglary. Now, the courts are starting to reckon with the fallout.

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