Former Ole Miss and NFL defensive lineman Jerrell Powe will not face an indictment stemming from a kidnapping charge he was met with due to a January 2023 incident.
First reported by the Associated Press, a Madison County grand jury elected not to send Powe to trial after he and cohort Gavin Bates allegedly brought a man, identified as Bryce Mathis, to central Mississippi against his will to pay a debt reportedly owed the two men.
Powe and Bates claimed to have invested in Mathis’ medical marijuana startup but wanted their money back after they had not seen any return on their investment. Mathis, who resided in Laurel, told the men that all of his money was at Chase Bank in Ridgeland.
The two men then took Mathis from the Pine Belt city to the Madison County bank. While in the bank, Mathis had employees notify the police that he had been kidnapped. Powe and Bates were promptly arrested and charged with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Now that the grand jury has decided not to indict Powe, prosecutors may still pursue charges, but that is unlikely to happen.
During his three seasons in Oxford, Powe logged a total of 68 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and one interception. As a pro, the big defensive lineman recorded 18 tackles, three for a loss, and one sack during a three-year career — two with the Kansas City Chiefs and one with the Houston Texans.
