Davis pleads guilty in Mississippi welfare fraud cases

The former MDHS director will serve time in federal prison.

The former Executive Director for the Mississippi Department of Human Services is pleading guilty this morning in state and federal court in the cases related to the welfare scandal that has been described by the State Auditor as the largest public corruption case in Mississippi history.

John Davis will plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and theft of federal funds in federal court as well as five counts of conspiracy and thirteen counts of fraud against the government in state court.

Specifics on the deal for the pleas are unclear at this time but Davis is expected to cooperate with prosecutors as the case moves forward and will spend his sentence in federal prison.

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The conspiracy charge is punishable with up to five years in prison and the theft charge up to ten years in prison. Both carry a $250,000 fine.

The Department of Justice said that after Davis’ plea he will be sentenced on February 2, 2023. He faces the maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy count and 10 years in prison for the theft concerning programs receiving federal funds count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.