Jeffery Howard, Murder-for-Hire via Interstate Facilities, MS 2023

Jeffery Howard, 46, of Nicholson, Mississippi, is headed to federal prison for a decade after admitting his role in a cold-blooded murder-for-hire scheme tied to his drug trafficking and white supremacist ties. Howard pleaded guilty to using interstate facilities to arrange a hit, a crime under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1958(a), and was sentenced to 120 months behind bars followed by three years of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier handed down the sentence in federal court, sealing Howard’s fate after a probe by the FBI’s New Orleans Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The investigation began under the umbrella of domestic terrorism, quickly zeroing in on Howard as a known associate of the Aryan Brotherhood—a violent, white supremacist prison gang with a long history of intimidation, drug dealing, and murder.

Court documents reveal Howard sold methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer multiple times. But the case took a darker turn when, during one of those drug deals, Howard casually offered to commit murder in exchange for cash. That offhand remark wasn’t just bravado—he followed through, accepting payment to carry out the killing, setting off alarm bells within federal law enforcement.

The FBI’s JTTF moved swiftly, documenting Howard’s willingness to kill for profit and building a case that exposed not just a drug dealer, but a dangerous operative embedded in a violent extremist network. His connection to the Aryan Brotherhood elevated the threat level, prompting federal intervention under statutes designed to dismantle organized criminal enterprises.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite, Eastern District of Louisiana, commended the JTTF’s relentless work in uncovering the plot. “This wasn’t just a drug case. It was a premeditated contract to end a life,” Polite stated. “Howard’s willingness to sell murder as easily as meth shows the depth of his criminal mindset.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Kennedy prosecuted the case.

Howard’s 10-year sentence underscores federal authorities’ crackdown on gang-related violence and extremist activity spilling into communities. With the Aryan Brotherhood still active in prison systems and on the streets, law enforcement warns that figures like Howard represent an ongoing threat—one the justice system is determined to meet with maximum penalties.