GULFPORT, Miss. – The customary shackles are off and five of those people facing federal charges linked to the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) investigation are home this afternoon.
Former DMR executive Director Bill Walker, his son Scott Walker, former DMR managers Tina Shumate and Joseph C. Zeigler Jr., and former D’Iberville City manager Michael Janus made their initial appearances in federal court in Gulfport early Friday. The judge read them their rights, reviewed court rules and then let them go home free on unsecured bonds. They have to be back at the courthouse for arraignment Wednesday, when it’s expected that all five will plead not guilty.
