OXFORD, MS — A coordinated federal takedown has charged six alleged members of the Simon City Royals in a violent prison stabbing that erupted inside the East Mississippi Correctional Facility (EMCF) in Meridian. The attack, carried out in support of a criminal enterprise, is now the centerpiece of a two-count federal indictment returned April 23, 2019, unsealed today in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi.
The defendants named in the indictment are WILTON JOHNSON a/k/a BIG BOI, JEREMY SMITH a/k/a LIL ONE, CARL MCMILLIAN, JAMES VAUGHN a/k/a SIR FLUTE, JUSTIN HANNAH, and JOE JOHNSON. All appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Sanders and are scheduled for arraignment and detention hearings on Thursday, May 23, 2019, at 2:30 p.m. The charges stem from an assault allegedly orchestrated to maintain the gang’s dominance behind bars, part of a broader pattern of violence tied to the national Folk Nation alliance.
According to court documents, the Simon City Royals operate as a highly structured racketeering enterprise with board members and regional Ambassadors directing both street and prison operations. The gang enforces loyalty through intimidation, murder, attempted murder, identity fraud, and obstruction of justice. In Mississippi’s correctional system, the gang maintains control through incarcerated leadership who demand daily reports on money, discipline, and violence—ensuring facilities are fully ‘plugged in’ to their criminal network.
Investigators say the EMCF stabbing was not a spontaneous brawl but a calculated act to assert power within the prison hierarchy. The assault occurred amid a broader crackdown on gang activity within state facilities, where the Simon City Royals and Gangster Disciples have entrenched influence. Law enforcement sources describe the gang’s internal structure as militarized, with directives flowing from incarcerated leaders to foot soldiers on the inside.
‘The prosecution of violent crime, and those individuals who perpetrate it, is a top priority,’ declared U.S. Attorney William C. Lamar. ‘We will continue to devote our time, efforts, and resources to the investigation and prosecution of those gangs who threaten our communities.’ Assistant Special Agent in Charge William McCrary of the ATF’s New Orleans Field Division echoed the sentiment, stating, ‘These indictments are an example of our ongoing commitment to dismantling violent gangs.’
The case is being pursued by a multi-agency task force including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Stringfellow and Christopher Taylor from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section are leading the prosecution. As with all federal cases, the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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