FAYETTE, Miss.- State Auditor Stacey Pickering presented a $200,000 check today to the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors.

The $200,000 is from the bond collected on behalf of Burnell Harris, former circuit clerk in JeffersonCounty who admitted to embezzling funds from the county.

On February 2, 2006, the Assistant United States Attorney contacted the State Auditor’s Office alleging Jefferson County Circuit Clerk Burnell Harris failed to report fees collected by the office resulting in under-reporting of funds owed to JeffersonCounty. Harris served as circuit clerk in JeffersonCounty from 1984 to 2006.

An investigation, conducted by the Office of the State Auditor and the Internal Revenue Service, resulted in Harris’ sentencing on nine counts, to a 72 month sentence and to a three years post-release supervision. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $447,086.07.

“I am proud to report progress in the Auditor’s Office. We are pleased to return the $200,000 recovered to the Board of Supervisors in JeffersonCounty and appreciate the help of United States Attorney Dunn Lampton in prosecuting the case,” said Stacey Pickering. “I want to send the message to government officials and those employees working in state and local government that we will investigate and go after any misappropriation of funds.

“We work on behalf of the taxpayers in Mississippi, and I am proud to represent their interests when auditing state and local government.”

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