DANBURY – A self-described “evangelist” and former Stokes County Board of Elections member accepted a plea deal on Wednesday in Judge Angela Puckett’s courtroom which will likely see him spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Boh Mabe, 63, of King, plead guilty to 14 counts of statutory sex offense with a child by an adult.
The changes were consolidated into a single sentence of 300-420 months, or 25 to 35 years in prison, by Judge Puckett.
Due to structured sentencing rules, Mabe must serve the minimum sentence before parole would even be considered. That would make him 88 years old before he could see the possibility of release.
Quentin Harris and Valerie Thomas prosecuted the case.
“We are pleased that Mabe accepted a plea rather than force the young victims to relive those events in court,” SBI spokesperson Angie Grube said late Wednesday from her office in Harrisburg. “We still encourage anyone with information about this case to call the Stokes County Sheriff’s Office, or the SBI at 336-303-4840.”
Harold Lester Mabe Jr. has been held in the Forsyth Detention Center since his arrest by State Bureau of Investigation agents at his home on Aug. 12. He was originally charged with 12 felony counts; the two additional counts have been added after SBI agents interviewed the victims.
The Stokes County Sheriff’s Office asked the SBI to investigate in early August.
Mabe served on the county’s Board of Elections at the time of his arrest but resigned his post the following week. He was formerly a candidate for county commissioner, losing in the 2010, 2014 and 2018 primaries.
In his candidate responses prepared for The Stokes News in 2018, Mabe described himself as an “evangelist” who had volunteered with church youth groups for 30 years, and was a volunteer chaplain with Novant Health for the past 24 years. He said he was a veteran of the United States Army and Army National Guard, and was self-employed as a sub-contractor.
Mabe will next be processed by the state Department of Corrections.
“The normal procedure is that he would be sent to Central Prison (in Raleigh) for processing and then an appropriate facility would be designated,” Mabe’s attorney, Julie Boyer of Winston-Salem, said. “The Department of Adult Corrections generally does not release this information until after the inmate is moved, for security reasons.”
“If he does ever get parole,” Boyer added, “he would be a registered sex offender and subject to satellite based monitoring.
Mabe’s wife, Jackie, was arrested and charged as an accessory after the fact for allegedly destroying evidence. She was released on bond and her case is pending. She is represented by attorney Clark Fischer.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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