An ex-director of Mississippi’s welfare agency pleads guilty over misspent money : NPR

JACKSON, Miss.– A previous director of Mississippi’s welfare agency pleaded guilty Thursday to brand-new federal charges in a conspiracy to misspend 10s of millions of dollars that were planned to help clingy households in one of the poorest states in the U.S.– part of the biggest public corruption case in the state’s history.

John Davis appeared in federal court to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of scams versus the federal government. Throughout the hearing, U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves asked numerous questions about whether Davis comprehended the charges to which he was pleading guilty.

” Yes, sir,” Davis reacted each time.

Reeves set sentencing for Feb. 2. Davis stays complimentary on bond, and the judge stated he hopes Davis makes much better choices from now on.

” I look forward to hoping that this part of your life lags you,” Reeves stated.

Davis was prosecuted on state charges in February 2020. He was re-indicted this spring on state charges that he took part in misusing welfare money, consisting of utilizing some to send out a previous professional wrestler to a high-end drug rehab facility.

The state charges are being dropped in exchange for Davis concurring to plead guilty to federal charges and to affirm versus others in the case, according to a state court contract submitted Wednesday. The state court file stated Davis had actually concurred to plead guilty to 5 counts of conspiracy and 13 counts of scams in federal court, however he pleaded guilty to one count of each. Lawyers in federal court did not point out numerous charges or describe the contents of the state court file.

The federal charges were bied far Sept. 15, however stayed sealed till Wednesday. Federal court records reveal Davis appeared prior to a magistrate judge Wednesday, and that Davis waived indictment and concurred to be prosecuted under the federal charges.

Davis was executive director of the Mississippi Department of Human Solutions from February 2016 through July 2019. He was designated to the task by then-Gov. Phil Bryant, a Republican politician.

The federal charges state Davis conspired with 4 other people, who are not called. Court files explain 2 of the supposed conspirators as executive directors of companies, one as the owner of 2 business and one just as a homeowner of Hinds County, Mississippi. The capital city of Jackson is in Hinds County.

The conspiracy charges state one of the companies paid almost $498,000 to one of the business in June 2018. A couple of days later on, that business got in a $1.1 million agreement with the other business “supposedly in exchange for developing a program to serve urban youth.” The charges likewise state the very same company paid $700,000 that summertime to the business with the youth program agreement.

The theft charges state Davis misused federal grants of more than $10,000.

The conspiracy charge is punishable by up to 5 years in jail and a $250,000 fine, and the theft charge brings up to ten years in jail and a $250,000 fine.

In April, a mom and boy who ran a not-for-profit company and an education business pleaded guilty to state charges of misusing welfare money, consisting of on luxurious presents such as top-notch airline tickets for Davis. Nancy New and Zachary New concurred to affirm versus others.

In a state court filing Sept. 12, an lawyer for one of the News’ companies noted text in between retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre and Nancy New, in between Favre and Bryant and in between Bryant and New.

The messages revealed conversations about millions of dollars in welfare money being directed to an animal job of Favre– a beach ball facility being constructed at the University of Southern Mississippi. Favre, Bryant and New all participated in the university, and Favre’s child began playing beach ball there in 2017. Favre and Bryant have actually not been charged in the welfare wasting case.