AG’s Office drops criminal case against former Belle mayor

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Attorney General’s Office has dropped the criminal case against former Belle Mayor Daryl White Jr.

White was charged in 2023 with stealing and official misconduct, both misdemeanors.  He was accused of misusing the city’s credit card, stealing paint cans and taking a gun. The case was moved from Maries County to Phelps County last year.

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. Some of the claims were disputed by the Vienna police chief.

The city claimed no money was missing from its bank accounts and none of its guns were missing or were misused.

“For over a year, Daryl’s name was unfairly tarnished without cause," White's attorney TJ Kirsch said in a statement, "We are grateful for the Attorney General’s thorough review and ultimate decision, recognizing that this case was unworthy of further draining Daryl’s time or the community’s valuable resources. Justice and fairness matter, and we appreciate the effort to put this unnecessary ordeal to rest.”