Vicksburg Man Sentenced for Stealing 27 Pounds of Marijuana

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — A Vicksburg man has been sentenced after being convicted of stealing 27 pounds of marijuana from a local cannabis facility.

Earnest Dee Jr. was convicted on charges of grand larceny and burglary. Circuit Judge James Chaney sentenced him to seven years, with five to serve, on the first count and 12 years, with five to serve, on the second count. Both sentences will run concurrently.

Dee took his case to trial last month, where a jury returned a guilty verdict after about an hour of deliberations. Assistant District Attorney Mike Warren prosecuted the case with help from Assistant DA Branan Southerland.

During the trial, prosecutors said Dee was working as a security guard at Big River Cannabis Company in August 2024 when he used his gate code to enter the property at midnight. He then picked a lock to a restricted room and stole 27 pounds of marijuana valued at about $65,000.

The incident was captured on surveillance video, and investigators later tied Dee to his stepfather’s truck, which was stopped the next day by Vicksburg Police Lt. Donnie Heggins.