JACKSON- State Auditor Stacey Pickering announced today that two individuals have pled guilty and been sentenced as part of an embezzlement scheme in the North Pike School District.

Jimmy Coker, 67, pled guilty to one count of embezzlement and was ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $3,000 and restitution totaling $33,739.11. OSA collected the full amount of Coker’s restitution on April 16, and it will be returned to the school district. He has also been placed on non-adjudicated probation for a period of 48 months under the supervision of the Department of Corrections.

Howard Cooper, 47, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit embezzlement and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,619.50.

As the Director of Transportation, Coker collaborated with Cooper, an employee of a local auto parts store, to bill the school district for personal items.

“These individuals worked together to steal from the North Pike School District and they are being held accountable for their actions,” Auditor Pickering said. “This investigation was a collaborative effort between the State Auditor’s Office, District Attorney Dee Bates, and the North Pike School District.”

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