Aberdeen Mayor Maurice Howard guilty of embezzlement
Now-former Aberdeen Mayor Maurice Howard on Feb. 1, 2021.
Updated - Aberdeen Mayor Maurice Howard pleaded guilty on Monday to embezzlement.
Posted: Feb 1, 2021 10:34 AM
Updated: Feb 1, 2021 4:23 PM
Posted By: Zac Carlisle
As a result, he will be removed from office
A grand jury indicted the mayor on five counts of embezzlement in October 2019.
Court documents pointed to five separate trips, ranging from April 2017 to September 2017, to events and conferences in Jackson, Michigan, Atlanta and Alabama.
He was accused of converting the trip money he received from the City of Aberdeen to his own use and not returning the money to the city.
ABERDEEN â Outgoing Mayor Maurice Howard, 36, pleaded guilty to embezzlement by a public official Monday in Monroe County Circuit Court.
Judge John White sentenced his removal from office and 10 years in Mississippi Department of Corrections custody with the time being suspended. He will not serve any jail time. Howard was also ordered to repay court costs of $431.50, a bond fee of $200 and the victimâs bond fee of $10, in addition to restitution in the amount of $8,226 to Old Republic Surety Company of Milwaukee.
There is no minimum sentence on the charge, but the maximum is 20 years with a $5,000 fine.
The criminal charges were brought forth by the Mississippi State Auditorâs office. They stem from trips he was reimbursed for in 2017 with taxpayer funds that he never took.
ABERDEEN â Following witness testimony and legal arguments last week in Monroe County Circuit Court, Special Judge Jeff Weill Sr. of Jackson explained the timeline for a ruling in the Ward 1 election contest filed on behalf of Robert Devaull. Nicholas Holliday was certified as winner of the race last summer and holds the Ward 1 alderman seat.
Devaullâs attorneys, Lydia Quarles and Jim Mozingo, and Hollidayâs attorney, Walter Zinn Jr., are to have their proposed findings within 21 days following the final witness testimony planned in the case. After studying both findings, Weill will send his final opinion for the Aberdeen Election Commission to review, and its members will have 10 days to send in writing if they agree or disagree with his opinion before a ruling is issued.
ABERDEEN â The city entered into a contractual agreement with an energy consultant with Priority Power Management during the Dec. 15 board of aldermen meeting.
The meeting was attended by Ward 1 Alderman Nicholas Holliday and Ward 3 Alderman Edward Haynes, while Ward 2 Alderwoman Lady B. Garth joined by telephone. The action to approve the energy consultant, contingent on city attorney Walter Zinn, Jrâs approval, passed with a 2-1 vote, with Haynes voting against.
The matter was included in a presentation dealing with electricity, finances and development.
âWhat weâre looking at is a plan to shift Aberdeen forward. It is a three-tier economic development plan which will consist of 150 to 250 new jobs within our port district, a plan that will lower our power bills by 20 to 25 to 30 percent, a plan that will raise our yearly budget by 40 percent and construct brand new homes and condos for what we believe is a growing Aberdeen,â said Mayor Maurice Howard in
Aberdeen city leaders reveal economic development plans
Mayor Maurice Howard said a team of consulting companies will help bring the city more savings.
Posted: Dec 16, 2020 12:26 AM
Updated: Dec 16, 2020 9:13 AM
Posted By: Nicole Dantzler
ABERDEEN, Miss. (WTVA) Aberdeen city leaders hired some consulting companies to help invest in the development of the city.
At Tuesday’s regular meeting, the mayor and board of aldermen met to discuss an agreement with Depcom Power, Priority Power and others.
Aberdeen Mayor Maurice Howard said a majority of the board approved to sign with the companies, so they can find projects for the city to invest in.