JACKSON, Miss. — Two Leake County men face significant federal prison time following separate legal actions involving crimes against minors on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, federal officials announced Tuesday.
U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff announced details regarding both cases on Nov. 10.
Plea Entered in Reservation Minor Abuse Case
Daunte Gage Smith, 22, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Jackson to the sexual abuse of a minor.
According to court documents, Smith engaged in sexual contact with a female victim between the ages of 12 and 16. Court records show the conduct occurred in the Redwater Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation from March 2025 through March 2026.
Smith is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 26, 2027. He faces up to 15 years in prison and a minimum of five years of federal supervised release.
The Choctaw Police Department and the FBI investigated the case.
Jury Convicts Red Water Man in Undercover Internet Sting
In a separate proceeding, 41-year-old Edison Jefferson, also of the Red Water Community, was found guilty on three federal counts following a seven-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate.
Evidence presented at trial showed Jefferson used the internet and a cell phone to communicate with who he believed to be a 15-year-old minor in Texas. The individual was actually an undercover police officer. Prosecutors established that Jefferson sent explicit messages, solicited nude photos, and attempted to coerce the undercover officer to travel to Mississippi for sexual activity.
A federal grand jury indicted Jefferson in January 2026 on charges of:
- Attempted coercion and enticement
- Attempted coercion and enticement to travel to engage in sexual activity
- Attempted production of child pornography
Jefferson remains in federal custody facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years up to life in prison. Sentencing was set for Nov. 9, 2026.
The case was investigated by the FBI Safe Trails Task Force, which includes the FBI, Choctaw Police Department, Leake County Sheriff’s Office, and Carthage Police Department, alongside the Taylor County Sheriff’s Department in Abilene, Texas.
Both cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns, along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalleigh McCoy.
