Case against former Belle mayor moved to Phelps County, jury trial set for July

BELLE, Mo. (KMIZ)

The court case against a former city official in Belle has been moved to Phelps County.

Former Belle Mayor Daryl White Jr. was charged last year with stealing and official misconduct, both misdemeanors.  He was accused of misusing the city’s credit card, stealing paint cans and taking a gun.

On Friday, a change of venue was granted and the case will be moved to Phelps County. A jury trial is set for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 10.

The Maries County Sheriff’s Office searched Belle City Hall on Dec. 20. Deputies, however, could not find White. James Mitchell is the new mayor; he was initially named the pro tem and then was elected to the position on April 2.

According to a probable cause statement in previous reporting , White was allegedly seen taking several spray cans from the city’s road department garage. The statement also says a witness told law enforcement to check financial records and accused White of “misusing the city’s credit card again.”

Court documents say the gun was placed back into the locker by Dec. 19, 2023.

In a January statement, the city claimed no money was missing from its bank accounts and none of its guns are missing or have been misused.

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