[8/10/04]A Vicksburg man indicted in a foiled plot to kill a Vicksburg police officer and a confidential informant pleaded guilty Monday in federal court.

Anthony Woodland, 30, 1807 E. Main St., was arrested May 20 after federal officials said he offered crack cocaine as partial payment to an undercover U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent at a local drug store parking lot.

The ATF agent was posing as a hit man.

Monday, as Woodland was led from the courtroom in handcuffs, he smiled at onlookers.

Woodland is the younger brother of Danny Woodland, 32, who lived at the same address and was killed in last week’s fatal shootout at a downtown nightclub.

Anthony Woodland remained in custody of the U.S. Marshal Service at the Madison County Jail, which also serves as a holding facility for federal prisoners.

Officials said that when Woodland met with the ATF agent, he said he first wanted the man he believed to be a police informant killed and that he would take care of the police officer at a later date.

He then gave the undercover officer one-half ounce of crack cocaine to initiate the murder-for-hire plan, according to the government’s case against him.

The guilty plea, on conspiracy to commit murder, was an agreement between the prosecution and the defendant to drop other charges, including one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

His sentencing was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Oct. 19.

Separately, the man accused of killing Danny Woodland was returned Monday to the Warren County Jail after a follow-up visit to River Region Medical Center.

Reginald Rogers, 27, 2404 Railroad Alley, was arrested Friday as he was released from the hospital on charges of murder, four counts of aggravated assault and shooting into an occupied dwelling. Later that night he was taken back to the hospital. He was returned to the jail Monday morning, Warren County Martin Pace said.

Officials have said he was shot once in the chest.