Video: Agent Speaks About Moonshine Bust

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Columbus, Miss. (WCBI) — 57 year old Reggie Williams from Meridian is the man who was arrested for being the top of a moonshine bootlegging operation.

The investigation started with a moonshine buy in Oktibbeha County that led Mississippi Alcohol Beverage Control agents to Cuba, Alabama.

That’s where investigators say they found Williams with around 30,000 one gallon drums of moonshine.

Mississippi Alcohol Beverage Control agents estimate Williams made up to $300,000 a year selling moonshine.

Mississippi A.B.C. Agent in charge Jason Counts said the moonshine bootlegging business isn’t a thing of the past because “as long as there’s somebody…willing to drink it, there’s going to be somebody that’s going to want to make it.”

A.B.C. says Williams’ operation has traces in Clay, Winston, Oktibbeha, and Monroe County and others are possible.

Counts said law enforcement relies of the public for information on bootleggers to find them.

“…they’re a real clanish group of people…”, said Counts, “…once you catch somebody who is selling moonshine and you try and turn him, they won’t turn on each other.”

A.B.C. says Williams was making the moonshine in a car radiator.

Counts said people should also view the safety risks as highly as the legal risks of buying bootlegged moonshine.

He explained lead poisoning is very possible when drinking moonshine that has, for instance, been made in a radiator.

A.B.C. also believes that there are possibly more moonshine operations still happening in east Mississippi.