JACKSON, Miss. — A once-prominent sheriff in Mississippi’s largest county was found guilty on Friday of federal charges including soliciting bribes and supplying ammunition to a convicted felon.

Marshand Crisler served as the interim sheriff of Hinds County in 2021, following the death of the elected sheriff, Lee Vance. The U.S. attorney’s office and the FBI reported that Crisler solicited and accepted significant sums of money in return for agreeing to share details of ongoing criminal investigations with an individual who provided the bribes.

Prosecutors allege that Crisler also promised to protect a relative of the bribing individual who was in jail and intended to offer them employment within the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department. Furthermore, he was implicated in supplying ammunition to someone he was aware was a convicted felon.

Facing a potential sentence of up to ten years in prison, Crisler is currently free on bail pending his sentencing date, which is set for February 6.

In addition to his role as sheriff, Crisler previously served as a member of the Jackson City Council. He participated in a special election in 2021 to complete the remaining two years of Vance’s four-year term but lost to Tyree Jones. Crisler also ran against Jones again in the Democratic primary held in 2023.