The former mayor of Aberdeen who was arrested during a CBD store raid last year has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Maurice Howard first made headlines after pleading guilty to embezzlement while serving in the city’s top post in February 2021. After being convicted of taking money he received from the city for conferences and other events but instead using it for personal use, Howard was removed from office but wasn’t sentenced to any jail time.
His luck ran up when in December 2023, Howard was arrested after raids at two CBD stores in Monroe County. Called “The Gas Station,” the stores operated by Howard were said to have been selling illegal drugs. While Howard was charged with the sale of narcotics and possession of narcotics with intent to distribute, that’s not why he was sentenced this week.
According to the Mississippi Department of Correction’s website, Howard was sentenced on an embezzlement charge possibly stemming back to his time as mayor. It’s unclear at this time if he will face additional time for the recent drug charges.
Howard is being jailed at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl. His tentative release date is set for December 20, 2027.
