JACKSON- State Auditor Stacey Pickering announced today that Tracy Laird, former employee at Jones County Junior College, was indicted by the Grand Jury of Jones County for embezzlement.

The Auditor’s investigation began in February 2009. Laird, 39, of Ellisville, has been employed at JCJC since May 1999. Officials with JCJC terminated Laird on February 27, 2009. The embezzlement began in July 2007.

Laird was issued a demand on Wednesday, September 9, 2009, in the amount of $109,407.96. More than $90,000 of the funds demanded are principal, and the remaining $18,870 represent interest, services performed by a contracted CPA firm and additional investigative costs.

“Embezzlement of public funds continues to be an issue we are seeing across the state of Mississippi as our State continues to face a poor economy,” said State Auditor Stacey Pickering. “I commend the leadership at Jones County Junior College for their efforts in uncovering this scheme to defraud the taxpayers of Mississippi and their proactive efforts to prevent this type situation from happening in the future.”

“The college reported accounting violations to the State Auditor’s Office this past spring after uncovering questionable activity by Tracy Laird,” according to a prepared statement by Jones County Junior College.*“Laird was a bonded employee of the college who was terminated when college officials discovered the violations.”

Tracy Laird turned herself in to authorities with the Jones County Sheriff’s Department and the State Auditor’s Office on Wednesday, September 9, 2009. She was served with the indictment issued by the Grand Jury and the formal demand from the State Auditor’s Office. She is scheduled to appear Wednesday, September 16, 2009, at 10 .m. before the Circuit Court of Jones County.

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