The Justice Department issued the following statement.
Two former school superintendents and a schoolteacher have been sentenced for stealing almost $400,000.00 from the Department of Education. These arrests, and ultimate prosecution, was an action on part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. The defendants in this were:
- Mario Willis, 58, of Southaven, Mississippi, was sentenced April 22, 2026, in federal court in Aberdeen, Mississippi before Judge Sharion Aycock. He had previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Embezzle Federal Program Funds and was sentenced to twenty months in federal prison beginning June 15, 2026. He was also sentenced to three years supervised release and ordered to pay $393,300.00 in restitution.
- Earl Joe Nelson, 57, of Biloxi, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Embezzle Federal Program Funds and was sentenced May 13, 2026, by Judge Sharion Aycock to 14 months in federal prison beginning July 13, 2026. Additionally, he was sentenced to three years of supervised release. Judge Aycock also ordered Nelson to pay a total of $143,300.00 to his victims for restitution.
- Monekea M. Smith-Taylor, 53, of St. Louis, Missouri, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Embezzle Federal Program Funds and was sentenced on this date Judge Sharion Aycock to 16 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release and additionally, she was ordered to pay $250,000 in restitution to the victims.
According to court documents, Mario Willis was the superintendent of Hollandale School District. From July 2019 to May 2022, Joe Nelson was the superintendent of Clarksdale Municipal School District. In October 2022, Nelson became the superintendent of Leake County School District. Monekea Smith-Taylor was a schoolteacher in the St. Louis, Missouri area. Nelson and Willis used their position as school superintendents to commit the crimes and, together with Smith, embezzled public funds for their own enrichment.
“Mr. Willis abused his position of trust for personal gain, and with today’s action, will now be held accountable for cheating those he promised to serve – Hollandale School District’s school children and their families,” said Jamila Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General [OIG] Eastern Regional Office. "The OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who misappropriate education funds for their own selfish purposes. Students and taxpayers deserve nothing less.”
Shad White, Mississippi State Auditor stated, "Thank you to my team that helped uncover the facts on this case and to the US Attorney’s Office for prosecuting. We will continue to work as hard as we can to hold anyone who steals taxpayer funds accountable.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton A. Dabbs is prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
31 comments:
Good fruit Shadster.
Well, Shad's fish are getting slightly larger.
That's all the jail time they get? Gee, I wonder why this happens so often...
Sometimes the fruit isn't actually "low hanging."
Shad's minions were handed a tip-off, it wasn't investigative prowess. Even he used the words "helped uncover". Shad likes taking credit for tipoffs.
Lock them up..long time
Outstanding educators- wonderful role models for our youth
Hey KF you should publish the list of salaries for school superintendents in MS. They’re as a whole the most overpaid and underworked school people out there. Parents buy wipes for the classrooms while they draw sky high salaries and perks.
No wonder public school districts in Mississippi always want increased property taxes every year.
But I forgot ... it's all about the chee'rons.
8:19pm And you base this comment on what proof. Have you ever served as a superintendent ? The ones I know work long hours, oversee hundreds of employees, and make 1/10 what they would make for similar responsibilities in the private sector.
Why did Shad snub Lynn Fitch on this catch?
If you need "proof"....you obviously have no idea what you're talking about. Anyone familiar with MS budgets - especially in the "education" system is fully aware of the obscene salaries of administrators who are paid bullies to keep everyone in line - which means to look the other way, while youth are promoted through grades with the actually merit once expected, and to keep the data showing they were in attendance. Speak out on the subject, and you'll be fired. This is why they are paid so much. It's ruthless, and no one will talk about it until they've left the system of graft.
It’s worth the risk. I understand why a teacher would risk a few months in jail for a big cash payout. The sentencing is a joke
Spoken like a Superintendent 1/10th you say. I'm calling BS
Shad had about as much to do with this, personally or via "his team," as Elon Musk or the C-suite at SpaceX. If he had been really involved, he'd be crowing about it to every outlet that would listen and not some footnote bone-toss in Fed press release.
1/10th my ass So these guys would make $3,000,000 in the private sector??????
Everyone in government earns 1/10th of what they would earn in the private sector but they never go into the private sector because they only do 1/10th of the work. So they would be shitcanned quickly.
Well 9:30 PM, the over paid superintendents in MS that I personally know all drive luxury vehicles, get endless paid vacations, er...I mean "work conferences" and they are the most stress free employees I have encountered.
So I guess we have very different anecdotal info on the subject.
I say fire half of them (along with most admin positions) and consolidate districts. Give teachers more money and instead of the endless nepo-admin hires, get a smaller admin staff of workers who are actually qualified but skills (and not just last name) and pay them fairly.
what about the big ol 5 star basketball gym down there in Raymond. Who and how was that paid for ? Just never seems anything in this county is being looked at. Now seeing this election fraud kinda makes you go hmmmmmmmm.
Seems like Shad would at least correctly audit the state agencies. How can literally millions slip through the cracks at the Board of Contractors? No accounting of the 'grants'. Where did all the money go? Check out 2023 and over 2,000 new contractor licenses ... how many are foreign? And the SOS can't keep up with addresses of businesses ... some are empty lots. It's a total cluster. Much more that 400k is filtered every year to unknown pockets.
YES, this is low hanging fruit.
My suggestion would be to get one of those easy government jobs so you can also work 1/10th of the work and make a fortune. I mean, it can’t be that difficult to get one of those jobs, right?
These folks are pretty good proof that it's better to be a whistleblower than a convict. Just ask any former deputy sheriff!
It is hard to understand that so many schools and other nonprofits operate without proper internal controls. I grew up in a small store and my dad would tell me to “watch them, Son. Don’t tempt them”. Internal controls would prevent this, except for collusion. This rampant problem, should be addressed by a law that requires the State Auditor to enforce internal controls on public institutions.
What's the big deal? They didn't build a volleyball stadium.
Sentences of only 14, 16 and 20 months. You start by taking home legal pads, felt-tip pens and printer cartridges. When you advance in position, your skill is honed.
There was no personal gain with a volleyball court. Just an alumni gift.
4:23 That's what I thought. Another no nothing blow hard with no proof . You sound like the kind whose mommy took up for you every time the mean old school folks tried to discipling her poor baby. Now you hate everything school related. Facts- Superintendents oversee multimillion dollar budgets, work longer hours than most anyone( often 6 days a week 14-16 hours a day) are responsible for the education and safety of thousands of children, are responsible and held accountable to a demanding public and parents of people like you who think that their child is infallible. They oversee child nutrition programs, transportation programs, academic programs, etc. etc., Similar responsibilities in the private sector would command 7 figure salaries. Most Superintendents make well under $200,000 a year.
These are facts , unlike the unfounded accusations whiners like you throw out there. If you've got cards lay them on the table...I am waiting.
Call all you want, average supt. salary is around $130, 000. Private corporation CEO's with same responsibilities would command well over a million dollars a year. Just the facts.
Proof that they do 1/10th the work. I'm waiting.
11:44 PM never had a child play competitive sports. I remember when a local title attorney funded his daughter’s travel softball team with the money he made selling the same pieces of land and writing titles for multiple buyers.
Did a little research today. Turns out, Mississippi allows convicted, incarcerated felons to draw PERS retirement regardless of type of crime or whether state funds were involved.
The Ex-Head Honcho of our prison system, now, himself in a federal prison, is receiving a nice check every month, as an example.
These two men stole money that clearly was related to their jobs. The legislature could correct this without tying a bill up in committee or disallowing it to come out of committee or having it fail on the floor, AGAIN. My understanding is that such a bill has died in committee on at least two occasions.
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