Deming employee arrested, facing federal charge connected to Biloxi councilman’s drug case
An employee of a CBD and kratom store owned by Biloxi councilman Robert L. Deming III has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging her with a crime connected to Deming’s pending drug case.
Celeste “CJ” Little appeared in federal court in Gulfport on Monday and pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempt and conspiracy to alter, destroy and cover up a tangible object with the intent to impede, obstruct or influence an investigation.
Judge Robert Myers released her on an unsecured $25,000 bond.
According to the charging document, Little was working at one of Deming’s nine CBD and kratom stores called The Candy Shop, LLC, when Drug Enforcement Administration agents simultaneously raided the stores on Jan. 23, 2023. More than $1.8 million was seized during the raids.
After the raids began, both Deming, Little and others started making calls to one another and other associates and business partners.
Little is accused of committing the federal crime when she called a manager at one of the Candy Shop stores in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and told the manager to throw out their synthetic cannabinoids additive, identified as the Schedule 1 controlled substance MDMB-4en-PINACA.
In the recorded call, Little said, “Go take the additive and throw them away,” the records say.
Little is now the first person charged along with Deming as a result of the federal investigation that began as early as 2020 when federal agents started making undercover buys at the store.
Deming is currently under house arrest pending trial on federal charges of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and destruction, alteration or falsification of records in a federal investigation.
He has denied any criminal wrongdoing.
DEA agents started investigating alleged wrongdoing by Deming at his stores as early as 2020 when they started making undercover buys at the stores.
During the undercover purchases, federal agents said store employees made comments like, “You cannot smoke this by itself,” because “it will put you in the hospital, it is way, way, way too strong.” and more.
Deming owns nine of The Candy Shop, LLC, stores in both Mississippi and North Carolina.
The federal investigation also noted how investigators became suspicious when Deming started making big cash purchases that included paying $500,000 in cash for his Biloxi house and buying three high-end cars..’
Financial records also showed that his business was making a lot more money than other CBD and kratom stores.
This story was originally published March 18, 2024 at 2:08 PM.
