Former Mayor of Clincho waves the white flag of guilty

facebook page of the former mayor of Clincho

Peggy Sue Stanley Mickens, courtesy Myspace.com

According to the US Attorney,"The former mayor of Clinchco, Virginia in Dickenson County, pled guilty today in Federal Court to fraud charges stemming from her use of town funds used to make improvements and repairs to her personal home while she was Mayor, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced.

Peggy Sue Stanley Mickens, 50, of Clinchco, Virginia, pled guilty today to one count of theft concerning programs receiving Federal funds, one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud.

“This defendant misused her position of public trust for her own personal benefit,” United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. said today. “We will continue to look into all manners of public corruption and prosecute those who misuse public money for their own benefit.”

According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Russell County Commonwealth’s Attorney and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Patton, Mickens was elected Mayor of Clinchco in May 2012, at which time she gained access to, and possession of the town’s banking instrument, credit cards, invoices and banking statements.

In 2013, Clinchco received approximately $20,000 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] via a Community Development Block Grant, to be used to rehabilitate homes and/or construct new homes in the town.

Mickens admitted today that, without any type of procurement formalities or approval she hired a contractor to remodel her home and paid for it from the town’s BB&T bank account via a checks signed by Peggy Sue Stanley Mickens.

The defendant took these actions without the knowledge or consent of town officials.

Mickens also admitted today to using a Lowe’s credit card maintained by the Town of Clinchco on August 26, 2013. The defendant admitted to using the town’s credit card, without the knowledge or consent of town officials, to charge $662 from the Lowe’s store in Wise, Virginia to obtain materials for her personal home."See story here...https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdva/pr/former-mayor-clinchco-pleads-guilty-federal-fraud-charges

In federal dollars, this is a small case but the fact it was the mayor of the town is what I think got her into trouble.   

What can she expect in Federal Prison. Being no stranger myself, I offer the following window into this dark, bleak world....http://www.amazon.com/PRISON-expect-Federal-Bureau-Prisons-ebook/dp/B011GTWLOG