JACKSON- State Auditor Stacey Pickering returned $92,583.71 yesterday, March 18, to the Tishomingo County Board of Supervisors following an investigation into former Chancery Clerk Hayden Ables’ misappropriation of public funds.
Auditor Pickering presenting the check for $92,583.71 to the Tishomingo County Board of Supervisors. From left to right: Danny Ryan, Third District Supervisor; Auditor Pickering; Brandon Grissom, First District Supervisor; Nicky McRae, Second District Supervisor; Steve Thorne, Fourth District Supervisor; Greg Collier, Fifth District Supervisor; and Trent Kelly, District Attorney.
The Auditor’s Office found that Ables used his position as Chancery Clerk to obtain personal benefit for services he did not perform. Ables submitted false documentation to the Tishomingo County Board of Supervisors to receive improper payments in violation of the laws of the State of Mississippi, and he did not reimburse the county in a timely manner regarding his employees’ payroll and failed to remit the proper amounts. He received extra compensation in excess amounts approved by the Board of Supervisors, and he falsified board minutes to receive pay.
“This case serves as another example in which the State Auditor’s Office has worked to expose the misuse of taxpayers’ money, and I hope the check returned today will aid in rebuilding the county’s future,” said Auditor Pickering.
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