POPLARVILLE — Victor Mitchell, on trial for being the mastermind of a plot to kidnap, assault and extort money from Hattiesburg businessman and billionaire Tommy Duff, was found guilty on all counts of his indictment.

He was indicted for crimes of conspiracy, attempted kidnapping, attempted sexual assault and attempted extortion.

The plot included a plan to kidnap Duff and extort money from him by videotaping Duff being raped by another man using a sex toy and threatening to share the video on social media.

The jury, returning a verdict in about two hours, recommended a sentence of life for the attempted kidnapping charge. He will be sentenced at a later date for the remaining charges.

The trial began Monday in Pearl River County Circuit Court with Judge Claiborne “Buddy” McDonald presiding.

Against the advice of his attorneys, Mitchell testified in his own defense Wednesday afternoon.

He told the jury he had met Willie Lampley through co-conspirator Howard Cameron, who had referred Lampley for a job.

Both men, however, testified previously that they did not know each other. Cameron lived in Biloxi and worked at a Coast casino. Lampley lives in Hattiesburg.

Mitchell said he didn’t have work right away but was looking for a dump truck and driver to haul materials from the work site.

He testified that Lampley knew someone and the two men met the next day at Best Buy, not the nearby Chili’s restaurant as Lampley had said.

Mitchell said he gave Lampley $400 to buy a computer but Lampley took off with the money.

When he found Lampley, he told him to keep the money and bring him a dump truck and driver.

Lampley testified on Tuesday that Mitchell had told him to call Duff “the driver.” Cameron and Glen Evans, the third man charged, were called the dump trucks.

He said Mitchell wanted to use code names for the men in case their phones were tapped.

Mitchell, 45, of Sumrall, was charged with conspiracy and attempted kidnapping, sexual assault and extortion.

Mitchell, Cameron, 50, and Glen Evans, 49, of Gulfport were arrested Nov. 19, 2016, outside a package store in Hattiesburg as they thought the plot would be carried out.

The men initially were charged with conspiracy to commit murder; attempted extortion; conspiracy to commit extortion; attempted sexual battery; conspiracy to commit sexual battery; attempted kidnapping; and conspiracy to kidnap Duff.

The grand jury did not indict on the conspiracy to commit murder charge.

The three men have been held without bond in Lamar County Jail since their arrests.

Lampley testified Tuesday and Wednesday that he was approached by Mitchell and asked to kidnap Duff after he stopped at one of Mitchell's job sites to inquire about a job.

When Lampley learned of Mitchell's plans, he contacted Hattiesburg police, who asked him to get more details.

Lampley said he learned Mitchell, Cameron and Evans wanted to put their plan in action right away so he decided to contact Duff and tell him his life was in danger.

Cameron’s testimony corroborated much of Lampley’s statements, even though the men had never met nor spoke with each other.

Cameron previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy, attempted kidnapping and attempted extortion.

He was given a reduced sentence of 25 years with 12 to serve in exchange for his testimony.

Duff said he contacted authorities to ask what he should do. He was told it was a serious threat — not a credible threat but a real threat. Duff was told he would need to go to an undisclosed location until officers were able to take Mitchell, Cameron and Evans into custody.

"Frankly, I was grateful Willie (Lampley) had called," Duff said on Tuesday. "I believe he saved my life."

Lampley testified he has a criminal record for petit crimes but was interested at first in the money Mitchell promised to pay — $25,000 — thinking he would only have to rough the man up.

"I didn't think he was serious at first," he said. "I just met him that day."

After more conversations about the plan, Lampley was beginning to realize Mitchell was indeed serious. The two men met at the old Huddle House on U.S. 11 near Interstate 59, where Mitchell told Lampley he planned to sodomize Duff "and make him look like he was enjoying it."

"That's when it dawned on me like this is for real," Lampley said. "It was going too far."

Lampley said he knew he could have walked away from the deal, but he also knew someone else would be hired to kidnap Duff and he would have that on his conscience so decided to help police capture the other men.

Recordings of phone calls between Lampley and Mitchell confirming Lampley's testimony were played in court.

"I've been through a lot in my life, but never nothing like this," Lampley said. "It scared me."

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Contact Lici Beveridge at 601-584-3104 or lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @licibev.