Plea hearings set for two former Mingo officials

Plea hearings have been scheduled in U.S. District Court for two former Mingo County elected officials.

Former Mingo County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Sparks will enter a plea on Monday, Nov. 18 to a charge of violating a man’s Constitutional rights.

According to the court filing, Sparks allegedly participated in a conspiracy with other Mingo County officials to thwart a federal investigation into late Mingo County Sheriff Eugene Crum.

A plea hearing for former Mingo County Magistrate Dallas Toler was scheduled for Monday, Dec. 2.  Toler is accused of voter fraud for allegedly registering a known convicted felon to vote.

Toler and Sparks, who have both resigned since being named in federal information filings, are the latest to be charged as a result of the federal corruption investigation focused on Mingo County.

That investigation has already lead to guilty pleas and resignations from former Mingo County Circuit Judge Michael Thornsbury and former Mingo County Commissioner David Baisden.