Two more Mingo County officials expected to plead guilty

Two more Mingo County officials are expected to plead guilty to charges stemming from an ongoing corruption investigation.

A motion was filed Monday asking U.S. District Judge Thomas Johnston to schedule plea hearings for former Mingo County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Sparks and former Mingo County Magistrate Dallas Toler. Johnston has been assigned both cases.

According to informations filed in U.S. District Court in Charleston, Sparks is charged with violating a man’s Constitutional Rights and Toler with voter fraud.

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.

Toler allegedly registered a convicted felon to vote last year when he knew that person was a convicted felon.

Toler and Sparks are the latest to be charged as a result of the corruption investigation in Mingo County. It has already lead to guilty pleas and resignations from former Mingo County Circuit Judge Michael Thornsbury and former Mingo County Commissioner David Baisden.

Both Toler and Sparks resigned earlier in the month after being named in separate information filings. Plea hearing dates have not been set.