JACKSON, Miss. – Several Mississippi state agencies failed to meet legal requirements to spend public money and do not have adequate safeguards to prevent fraud according to a report released today by State Auditor Shad White.
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JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from his office have arrested Harrison County Assistant Tax Collector Denise Gill after she was indicted on four counts of submitting false statements to defraud the government by a grand jury assembled by District Attorney for the Mississippi 2nd District Joel Smith. A demand letter worth $19,821.50 was delivered to Gill at the time of her arrest. Interest and investigative costs were included in the total demand amount.
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JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from his office have arrested a nurse previously employed by the Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board at the State Veterans Home at Collins. Brittany Ransom was arrested after she was indicted for embezzlement and making false representations to defraud government by a grand jury assembled by District Attorney for the 15^th District Matthew Sullivan. Ransom was delivered a demand letter worth $15,505.47 at the time of her arrest. Accrued interest and investigative costs are included in the demand amount.
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JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from his office have arrested Shellie Dickens (aka Shellie Martin), former administrative assistant for the Stone County Utility Authority, after she was indicted for embezzlement by a grand jury assembled by District Attorney for the Mississippi 2^nd District Joel Smith. At the time of her arrest, Dickens was issued a $13,492.12 demand letter which accounts for investigative costs and interest.
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JACKSON, Miss. – State Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from his office have arrested Jan Coleman, former director of the Hazlehurst United Methodist Church Child Care & Preschool, after she was indicted for one count of fraud in connection with a state or federally funded program and one count of embezzlement by a grand jury assembled by District Attorney for the Mississippi 22^nd District Alexander Martin. At the time of her arrest, agents delivered a demand letter worth $10,187.53 to Coleman for the cost of the investigation.
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JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced his office has issued demand letters to two former City of Pascagoula employees this week. Robert Parker, former city comptroller, and Joseph Huffman, former city manager, received demand letters for exercising improper financial management of bond proceeds. The total amount of both demands is $54,215.17 and includes all investigative costs and accrued interest.
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JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced two former employees of the City of Moss Point, Kenya Bowens and Lakeshia Benton, have both pled guilty to embezzlement in Jackson County Circuit Court. Both women are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Dale Harkey on June 11. The case was investigated by Special Agents from the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor and prosecuted by the office of District Attorney for the 19^th District Angel McIlrath.
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JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from the Auditor’s office have made arrests in two separate cases after a grand jury assembled by District Attorney for the 11^th District Brenda Mitchell indicted Gwendolyn Jefferson, Stacie Neal, and Kappi Allen. The total amount of demands issued among the three is over $1.1 million.
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JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from his office arrested former treasurer Sandra “Carlene” Statham for Friendship Volunteer Fire Department in Pike County. Statham was arrested for embezzlement after she was indicted by a grand jury assembled by District Attorney for the 14^th District Dewitt Bates. The Auditor’s office conducted the investigation after the Pike County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance.
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JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from his office, along with officers from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, arrested former Warren County Tax Collector’s office bookkeeper Paula Hunt. Hunt was arrested for embezzlement by a public official after she was indicted by a grand jury assembled by District Attorney for the 9^th District Richard Smith, Jr. Hunt also received a demand letter for $165,329.98 at the time of her arrest. All interest and investigative costs are included in the demand amount.
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