Ex-Ocean Springs booster club treasurer gets probation for $42,000 theft
The former treasurer of the Ocean Springs Middle School Booster Club has avoided prison time after admitting to embezzling more than $42,000 from the organization to fund her gambling habit and other personal expenses.
Kasi Michelle McDaniel, a nurse practitioner, used the stolen funds to pay for various purchases, including fireworks for a big neighborhood display and part of a lavish Sweet 16 party for one of her five children at the White House Hotel in Biloxi.
That’s in addition to the money she withdrew from the Booster Club account using the club’s debit card to make ATM withdrawals at Mississippi Coast casinos to feed her gambling addiction.
McDaniel was adjudicated guilty of felony embezzlement. Her attorney, Cameron McCormick, said she accepted responsibility for the theft but believed the actual amount taken was less than $42,000.
On Thursday, Circuit Judge Keith Miller sentenced McDaniel to 10 years in prison — all suspended — meaning she will serve no time behind bars. She was placed on five years of reporting felony probation, fined $1,500 and ordered to repay the remaining $21,433 in restitution she still owes.
Assistant District Attorney Justin Lovorn said that McDaniel’s actions had real consequences for the students involved in the booster club.
“It wasn’t just that there was a gambling problem,” Lovorn said. “She was using it to fund her lifestyle.”
McDaniel stole the money over a one-year period beginning in November 2022. Ocean Springs police launched an investigation in late 2023 after the club president discovered the missing funds. By then, the club’s account balance had dropped to just $70.
Former booster club president Samantha Bignell spoke of the theft prior to McDaniel’s sentencing, telling the judge about how the girls missed one of their regional competitions because of McDaniel’s actions.
“Our primary concern has always been ensuring that our cheerleaders — the young athletes who work so hard to represent their school with pride — do not suffer any more than they already have,” Bignell said after the sentencing.
“We’re grateful to the court for ordering restitution to benefit the cheerleaders directly and to the District Attorney’s Office for their diligence and support. This outcome brings long overdue closure and accountability.”
