Gun charge could undo previous plea deal
By Leah Rupp
leah.rupp@clarionledger.com
And Andrew Nelson
ajnelson@clarionledger.com
WHAT'S NEXT
Jeremy Bibbs has a Jan. 22 revocation hearing that could determine whether he must serve prison time for a drug conviction.
A second felony conviction could mean a lot more than possible expulsion for Copiah-Lincoln Community College student Jeremy Bibbs.
The one-time all-star football recruit was arrested Friday and charged with possessing a gun on a college campus, a felony that carries a maximum $5,000 fine or three years in prison.
Bibbs, 20, a running back on the college's football team, was taken to the Rankin County jail Tuesday to await a Jan. 22 probation revocation hearing.
After reaching a plea agreement in 2005, Bibbs, a former Northwest Rankin High School student, avoided jail time for felony cocaine possession by attending boot camp at Parchman and agreeing to five-years probation.
"We were trying to salvage this kid's reputation, but it looks like he's just throwing it all away," said David Clark, the Rankin-Madison district attorney who struck the deal in Bibbs' drug conviction.
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton, who has said he shared custody of Bibbs with Bibbs' parents, however, said he does not believe the weapon belonged to Bibbs. "I have never known Jeremy to be around any type of firearms," Melton said. "He's a good kid, and I stand behind him."
Melton said Bibbs lived with him for about a year before he attended the boot camp.
"The last time I saw Jeremy was when he enrolled in (college)," Melton said. "That would have had to be about a year ago."
If Bibbs is found guilty on the gun possession charge, he could face up to 16 years on the drug charge, Clark said, because the conviction would nullify his plea agreement and he would go back before a judge for sentencing.
The online version of the college's student handbook states that possession or use of unauthorized firearms on the premises violates state law. Disciplinary action for any offense could include expulsion, dismissal or suspension.
Natalie Davis, spokesperson for the college, would not comment because she could not get further information on the school's in-house policy.
Head Coach Glenn Davis said it's too early to tell if Bibbs could be kicked off the football team
"Jeremy has made a lot of progress in his life here," Davis said. Until "everything comes out in the courts," Davis said he is hesitant to lay blame.
"(Bibbs) has been no trouble - he's no different than anyone who makes a mistake," he said. "I hate that this happened and I know he regrets it, too."
Edited by: Colonel_Reb