MOUND BAYOU, Miss.–You don’t hear about a lot going on in the Delta town of Mound Bayou, about five miles north of Cleveland, and just east of Hwy. 61. But Thursday, the town’s ex-mayor was indicted on charges that he stole money and property from the city, and it all went to his restaurant.
Kennedy Johnson was served papers by the state auditor’s office, too, demanding that he repay over $17,000, which includes the cost of everything he’s accused of stealing, plus the cost of the investigation and recovery.
The indictment says Johnson took money from the city and bought TVs for the restaurant, J&W Smokehouse. But, it didn’t stop there. According to the indictment, he also took air conditioners and a three-compartment, stainless steel sink, from the Mound Bayou Head Start Center, and put them in the restaurant, too.
“Public corruption hurts communities, ruins lives, and robs taxpayers,” said State Auditor Stacey Pickering. “This case is yet another example of a public official whom we believe enriched himself while stealing from the taxpayers. I thank our Special Agents for their hard work on this investigation.”
Johnson was mayor from 2001 to 2013.
