Ex-Moss Point mayor now accused of mortgage fraud in Texas, records say
Former Moss Point Mayor Mario King is now under investigation in Texas on allegations of mortgage fraud and has “engaged in other behavior that amounts to obstruction of justice,” all of which could have a significant impact on his sentencing in federal fraud case in Gulfport.
As a result, King’s attorney, Calvin Taylor, cited the new allegations and asked for a delay in sentencing for King, initially set for Thursday, according to court filings.
King’s wife, Natasha’s, also asked for a delay in sentencing.
Prosecutors have not objected to moving the sentencing, which is now set on July 22 in federal court in Gulfport.
The Kings had been living in Texas since they pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in February.
A grand jury indicted the Kings on 13 counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit fraud in June of last year.
In exchange for their plea, prosecutors had dropped the remaining charges against them, but that could change with new allegations of wrongdoing in Texas.
In the South Mississippi, the couple admitted using donations raised for mental health services at schools for Moss Point on personal items, such as down payments on a Volvo and Cadillac and to pay in full for a pedigreed dog for the family.
The crimes occurred from late 2018 or early 2019 to May 2019.
The couple had used some of the money to cover the costs of the the Mayor’s Gala — an event promoted as a fundraiser though they used some of the cash donations on personal expenses.
As part of the conspiracy, the couple moved some of the donations into a bank account Natasha opened in the name of the couple’s personal business, Rejuvenate LLC.
The wire fraud charges referred to donations the couple transferred from PayPal to the Rejuvenate account, plus withdrawals from the account for personal expenses.
Mario King, a Democrat, was 30 years old when Moss Point residents elected him mayor in June 2017. He had announced before entering his guilty plea that he had no plans to run for a second term.
During his term as mayor, King’s tenure was marked by controversy, including an arrest for a domestic violence charge involving his wife, though the charge was ultimately dismissed after Natasha refused to testify.
Federal prosecutors had identified up to 25 victims of the fraud, including the Moss Point School District.
Many of the victims told investigators they never would not have made any donations had they known the money would be used for something other than the intended purpose.
The Mississippi State Auditor’s Office and the FBI investigated the case.
This story was originally published June 16, 2021 at 5:45 PM.
