Moss Point Mayor Mario King, 33, and his wife, Natasha R. King, 32, of Moss Point, Mississippi, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to the Mayor’s Gala held in 2019, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, and Special Agent in Charge Michelle A. Sutphin of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Mario King and Natasha R. King began soliciting funds in late 2018 for a Gala to be held on March 23, 2019, in Moss Point.
The written solicitation stated that the “gala honors and supports organizations that are making a difference for the mental health community.
Proceeds support the efforts of mental health in the City of Moss Point with a focus on the Moss Point School District, converting spaces into a therapeutic and innovative learning environment.”
On March 4, 2019, Mario King and Natasha R. King appeared together on WLOX television and described the event, stating that funds from the Gala were to be used to create safe spaces for mental health counseling in the Moss Point School District.
It was the understanding of those contributing to the Gala, either in the form of tickets purchased or contributions, that the proceeds from the Gala would go to the Moss Point School District. Some of the funds were used to pay for the cost of the Gala, but the remaining proceeds did not go to the Moss Point School District. Instead, the defendants used the proceeds for personal purchases, including the down payment on the purchase of a vehicle, cash withdrawals and the payment of credit card debts involving charges to complete the purchase of a personal pet.
As part of the plea agreement, Mayor King will immediately resign his position as Mayor of Moss Point. The plea agreement with Natasha King includes a recommended sentence of probation. The Defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on May 26, 2021 and face up to five years on the conspiracy charge and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Goes to show blacks can’t handle money with out it sticking to their hands! And the gala was for the unfortunate to steal from them is a sin . I hope they jail to give them time to think about what they’ve done!
One of the many reasons I have stopped being charitable. After being ripped off a couple of times one wises up.
There are many whites who have been charged with the same crime, so your comment is irrelevant and horribly written. I’m just saying. Next time, just comment on the crime and leave your prejudice out of it.
Your comment just shows the hate in your own heart. You want to talk about sin, hate is a sin, and God does not see one sin differently than the other. So you just proved you are no better than the mayor and his wife. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Don’t bring up God and sin while spewing hate. It makes you look incredibly ignorant.
I can say it was a great idea to help the mentally challenged, but people, ALL people who are greedy, with criminal minds, just will not do right.
I’m so happy my parents taught me if you still you will kill.
We keep seeing and hearing about it on the news everyday.
I love the job that Shad White is doing. I just which he would start focusing in on some of these local Police Stations, and small town Courts with their own ways of doing things.
Your so right there not the only ones with sticky fingers !!!