Three educators, including two former Mississippi school superintendents, have pleaded guilty to embezzlement schemes affecting three school districts.
Earl Joe Nelson of Biloxi and Monekea Smith-Taylor of St. Louis, Missouri, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit embezzlement in federal court in Aberdeen, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said on Tuesday.
Mario Willis, of Southaven, pleaded guilty to the same offense in October.
Nelson has previously served as superintendent of the Clarksdale Municipal School District and the Leake County School District.
Willis formerly worked as superintendent of the Hollandale School District. In the St. Louis area, Smith-Taylor operated a consulting business in addition to teaching.
Nelson and Willis worked together to profit from fake consulting services. Willis did the same for Smith-Taylor.
They are awaiting sentencing and could face up to five years in prison.
Clarksdale and Hollandale are in the Mississippi Delta. Leake County lies northeast of Jackson.
Leave a Reply