JACKSON- State Auditor Stacey Pickering returned $15, 851 to the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors today following a guilty plea in a Fuelman embezzlement case.
Kenneth Lanier pled guilty to embezzlement and other unrelated charges and was sentenced to 10 years, nine years and three hundred and sixty-four days suspended, and was ordered to pay restitution of $15,241.67 on the embezzlement charge.
In August 2008, State Auditor Stacey Pickering announced the arrest of Kenneth Lanier, 41 of Meridian following an indictment for embezzlement. Lanier facilitated a conspiracy to embezzle funds from Lauderdale County through the unauthorized obtainment and unauthorized use of county Fuelman cards. Total loss was $21,272.86 representing $15,241.67 in embezzled funds; $609.67 in interest; and $5,421.52 in investigative expenses. Lanier was employed by the Lauderdale County Road Department from July 20, 2006 through October 25, 2006.
The complaint was initially filed with the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department and was later worked by the State Auditor’s Office,” said State Auditor Stacey Pickering. “This was a great joint effort between the State Auditor’s Office and Lauderdale County.”
“The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department received a call from the Jackson Police Department that started the investigation into Lanier’s unauthorized use of County Fuelman cards,” said Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun of the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department. “We turned the investigation over the State Auditor’s Office and appreciate the work of their investigators in bringing this case to a close. We were happy to assist in this case and are pleased with State Auditor’s recovery of the $15,000.”
On Monday, August 3, 2009, Karlandos Cornelius Hodge was arrested following a grand jury indictment for embezzlement for the use of a Fuelman card to fuel a personal vehicle. Total funds embezzled is $1,645.42; interest is $121.38 and the investigative cost is $1,645.42 bringing the total sought in recovery to $3,412.22.
Hodge was a police officer with the City of Edwards from April 2006 – March 2008. The embezzlement took place while Hodge was employed by the City of Edwards.
“We appreciate the work of the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office in assisting our office with this case,” said State Auditor Stacey Pickering. “Like in Lauderdale County, our investigators were assisted by employees of the Sheriff’s Office and their work helped bring our case forward.”
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