A Meridian barbershop owner and five other defendants indicted in November, 2013 by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to commit a federal offense and operating an illegal gambling business pleaded guilty Wednesday to one of the charges.

    According to documents filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, William Wayne (Bill) Gordon, Sr., Mildred Gordon, William (Wayne) Gordon Jr., Nellie Miller, Christopher Crawford, and Richard McKissack each entered a guilty plea on the charge of conspiracy to commit a federal offense.

    The charge of illegal gambling was dropped in a plea agreement reached with each of the six defendants.

    Charges were dismissed against two other defendants: Cameron Gordon and Dennis Michael Gordon, the latter of whom was indicted only on the charge of conspiracy to commit a federal offense.

    “The federal indictment against Dennis Gordon was dismissed last week,” said Bill Ready Jr., the attorney for Dennis Gordon.

    Sentencing for the remaining six defendants is scheduled for Dec. 17 in federal court in Jackson.

    The plea agreement for each of the defendants states that the penalty for the conspiracy charge is not more than five years in prison, supervised release of not more than three years and a fine of up to $250,000.

    “… the court may impose a sentence other than that indicated by the guidelines if the court finds that another sentence would be more appropriate,” the plea agreements state.

    Bill Gordon, Sr., who opened his barbershop on 9th Street in Meridian in 1962, entered into a separate plea agreement spelling out the terms of personal property and cash to be forfeited to the U.S. government. The barbershop is not on the forfeiture list.

    Wayne Gordon, Jr., said Thursday that there are other gambling establishments in Meridian.    

    “A guy that’s doing the same type business as we were doing testified against us at the grand jury,” Wayne Gordon said. “He’s in the same type of gambling business and they didn’t go after him.”

    A phone call and email to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Jackson Thursday was not returned.

    Federal investigators alleged in the original indictment the defendants would take illegal wagers on college and professional sporting events, then collect and remove the wagers from several locations and grade the bets based on the outcome of the wagered event to calculate winnings and losses for those persons placing the wagers.

        They said the defendants would pay people with winning wagers and keep the remaining funds for their personal use and benefit.

        In January, several of Bill Gordon’s businesses and his home were raided by FBI and IRS agents. Businesses owned by Bill Gordon targeted in the raid include the New Place Corner Bar, Bill Gordon’s Barber Shop, the Log Cabin Bar on Fifth Street, Cameron’s Deli on Fifth Street, the Sidetrack Lounge in Whynot, and a store on Highway 11 and 80 in Russell.