Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. and his wife La'Quetta charged with child endangerment
Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small (D), 50, and his wife, Ph.D. La'Quetta Small, 47, a principal in Atlantic City Public Schools, was charged with child endangerment in Atlantic County, New Jersey.
The Atlantic County District Attorney's Office filed charges Monday against the mayor and his wife with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
The casino town's top local official, the mayor, was also charged with third-degree terroristic threats, third-degree aggravated assault and simple assault. Ms Small was also charged with three separate counts of assaulting a disorderly person.
Prosecutors said the Smalls physically and emotionally abused their 15/16-year-old daughter on multiple occasions between December 2023 and January 2024.
The affidavit accuses the mayor of Atlantic City of hitting his daughter in the head with a broom, causing her to lose consciousness. In another incident, Small Sr. allegedly threatened to knock the teen down the stairs.
Small Sr. is also accused of grabbing his daughter's head, throwing her to the ground and knocking tissues off her head. In another incident, the mayor allegedly hit his daughter on the leg, causing bruises.
Ms Small is accused of punching her daughter on the chest and face, leaving her with bruises. Prosecutors say the charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Mayor’s Dark Circle
Late last month, local law enforcement conducted a raid on the tiny home. There was speculation at the time that the police presence was related to scandal in the Atlantic City Public School District that Mrs. Small oversaw.
About 48 hours after the raid, Mr Small held a press conference, telling the media the crime was a "family matter". The mayor said the investigation only shows "I'm human."
Small's attorney, Ed Jacobs, said reports that Small's teenage daughter was abused while pregnant with twins and could be charged with double murder are a "shocking rumor." .
Small has not yet commented on the allegations against him. Over the past 24 hours, he has shared a series of videos of himself working out in the gym on social media, captioning it "Getting fit."
Corruption Continues
Since 2016, Atlantic City’s government has been under state control. The proposed takeover by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) comes as Atlantic City's government fails to curb runaway spending as its tax base shrinks amid casino closures.
Decades of political corruption in Atlantic City also fueled support for the takeover. Four Atlantic City mayors have been arrested on corruption charges since 1970, it was reported in March.
Small's latest scandal involves his ex. In 2019, Frank Gilliam (D) pleaded guilty to embezzling $87,000 from the youth basketball program he oversaw. Gilliam resigned and was sentenced to one month in prison, although he faced 20 years in prison.
Gilliam's guilty plea comes less than a year after he was acquitted of assault and harassment charges related to a late-night fight outside the Golden Nugget. The altercation reportedly started after the then-mayor became angry at a man who walked too close to his car.
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Source: www.casino.org
