By Othor Cain,
Editor,
For months we have been covering the Canton Public School District Board of Directors. We followed the termination hearing of Cassandra Williams, former superintendent.
We shared how some school board members representing the district were not eligible to do so based on residency requirements.
For months we have followed the seemingly unlawful connection between the Canton School Board and the Board of Aldermen.
Last week, the District Attorney in Madison County helped answer some of our questions and highlighted our reporting when indictment papers and arrests were made early Thursday morning.
Among those arrested were 68 year old Vickie McNeil, the first African-American woman appointed as a police chief in a Mississippi town according to Canton Mayor William Truly, who appointed her when he was elected the first time. McNeil served as police chief 2009-2013.
McNeil, who is a current sitting elected alderwoman for Canton’s fifth ward with 35 years of law enforcement experience, is accused of assisting two voters with filing absentee ballots when she was a candidate for reelection for alderwomen, a violation of state law.
According to indictment papers The Mississippi Link received from the Circuit Clerk’s Office in Madison County, McNeil faces four counts of voter fraud.
Voter fraud carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The Mississippi Link was there when McNeil made her initial court appearance, represented by her attorney State Representative Ed Blackmon.
Wearing an orange seemingly over-sized jump suit, hands and feet shackled, McNeil appeared very frail yet unconcerned; unmoved about the charges she faces. When this reporter asked if she had any comments about her arrest, she said, “You can speak to my attorney.” Blackmon declined to speak.
McNeil’s bail was set at $4,000 ($1,000 per charge). Her grandson handled her bond fees and she was later released.
Also indicted and arrested was 38 year old Courtney Rainey. Rainey, you may recall is no stranger to the law. As we previously reported, she was arrested in 2012 for an alleged shoplifting incident at Walmart in Ridgeland, Mississippi.
Rainey has been at the heart of our investigation into the Canton Public School Board. The Mississippi Link uncovered a direct conflict of interest with her serving on the school board and being an employee of the City of Canton, where she serves as the director of human and cultural needs and at the time of her school board election, she did not live in Canton.
Our investigation revealed that at the time she ran for the school board position, she was actually living in Ridgeland. Her daughter, at that time, was enrolled and attending school at Ann Smith Elementary School also in Ridgeland. When Rainey ran for this board position in Canton, she signed a sworn affidavit indicating that she lived at an address in Canton.
Our investigation revealed that she is currently living at Camden Park Disability homes in Canton.
Rainey, of the seven people that have been indicted or arrested so far in this voter fraud case involving the Canton Municipal Election of 2017, faces the most charges.
Rainey is charged with 12 counts of voter fraud, two counts of conspiracy and one count of intimidation of a witness to commit fraud.
In a Facebook post after her release from jail on a $15,000 bond, Rainey insinuated that she was “sabotaged from day one.” See her FB post inset on cover.
Others indicted and or arrested were:
The former fire chief in Canton, Cary Johnson, faces several counts of voter fraud. Johnson is accused of allegedly buying votes in exchange for money and beer. He was released from jail on a $10,000 bond.
Desma King, a deputy city clerk in Canton, was arrested and indicted on two counts of voter fraud. The 44 year old is accused of illegally helping someone vote in the Ward 7 aldermen’s race, even though the voter no longer lived in that ward. King is free on a $2,000 bond.
Donnell Robinson, 52, who was mentioned in the indictments of Rainey, was also indicted and arrested on two counts of voter fraud and two counts of voting by an unqualified person. He is accused of twice casting a ballot in 2017 even though he was disqualified because of a 1995 conviction of receiving stolen property. At press time, it was unclear if Robinson had posted bail.
Jennifer Robinson, 45, was indicted and arrested on one count of voter fraud and one count of voting by an unqualified person in the Ward 7 election, even though she no longer lived there. Robinson is free on a $2,000 bond.
Sherman Matlock, 44, was indicted and arrested on one count of voter fraud and one count of voting by an unqualified person. Matlock is accused of casting a ballot in the 2017 Canton Municipal Election, even though he was disqualified because of a manslaughter conviction. At press time, it was unclear if Matlock remained in jail.
Madison County Assistant District Attorney Bryan Buckley told the media more indictments are forthcoming. He said the DA’s office received “voluminous” complaints about misconduct during Canton’s 2017 Municipal Elections.
Be the first to comment