Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Town Clerk Arrested for Embezzlement

 State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement. 

Today State Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from his office have arrested Stephanie Churchill of Benton County. Churchill, the former Town Clerk of Hickory Flat, was indicted for embezzlement by a local grand jury. A $104,256.92 demand letter was presented to Churchill upon her arrest. The demand amount includes interest and investigative expenses.

 

Churchill is accused of embezzling Hickory Flat’s Water and Sewage Department funds by not depositing the funds collected from water and sewage bills from October 2018 through February 2021.

 

“This is, once again, another case where money intended to pay for water in a small town was embezzled. It resulted in a big loss for the people of Hickory Flat,” said Auditor White. “My office investigates these matters, identifying the facts, but we only make arrests when prosecutors choose to charge someone. We cannot make that choice for them. We also do not control sentences. Courts do that. But when we all work together, taxpayers see results, like in this case.”

 

If convicted, Churchill will face up to 20 years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines. All persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The case will be prosecuted by the office of District Attorney Ben Creekmore.

 

A $50,000 surety bond covers Churchill’s employment as the Town Clerk of Hickory Flats. Surety bonds are similar to insurance designed to protect taxpayers from corruption. Churchill will remain liable for the full amount of the demand in addition to criminal proceedings.

 

Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s office online at any time by clicking the red button at www.osa.ms.gov or via telephone during normal business hours at 1-(800)-321-1275.



Kingfish note: The following costs comprise the $104,256 demand:

Principal (Amount allegedly embezzled): $85,814
Interest: $15,186
Cost of recovery: $3,255

 

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

Surely a Crystal Methodist church member.

Anonymous said...

I often wonder about these things. Is it desperation and then greed or is it greed and then desperation?

Anonymous said...

Good job, Shad. Keep it up.

And keep deflecting the fact that you've covered for Phil Bryant too.

Anonymous said...

I detect the tell-tale signs of an extremely shallow gene pool.

Looks sober to me said...

How much of that money went into her (choose one): nose, arm, or stomach?

Anonymous said...

When is Shad gonna grow up and handle Phil Bryant and his cronies? Grow some balls, Shad!

Anonymous said...

When is Mississippi gonna grow up and stop voting for the same corrupt SOBs?

Anonymous said...

Glad this thug is off the streets

Anonymous said...

The most surprising thing about this is that Hickory Flat has that much money to steal

Anonymous said...

Um, yeah, until Phil Bryant is held accountable for his corruption.

This kind of sh*t does not move the needle for me.

This is fluff

Anonymous said...

Clerk must not be in the same circle of friends as Phil.

Anonymous said...

How does this town go nearly 2.5 years without seeing money deposited from water bills, and not realize that something may be wrong?

Anonymous said...

Pop. Hickory Flat, MS, 565. Pop. Mississippi, 2.976 million. " “My office investigates these matters, identifying the facts, but we only make arrests when prosecutors choose to charge someone." Has State Auditor Shad White ever presented the facts of ex-Governor Phil Bryant's participation in the DHS embezzlement and misspent public funds schemes to the Attorney General or to the DA? Public confidence in the honesty and character of Shad White continues to fall.

No Branches in the Family Tree said...

Mississippi is now a much safer state.

Anonymous said...

You Booger-Eatin' Harpies have no idea what White has or has not turned over to whom.

My guess is he's given the Feds every scintilla of evidence he has turned up and the Feds are sweating all the indicted parties, playing solitaire at their desks just waiting to see which one rolls over with the most valuable information. Ten years cut from a 20 year sentence would make Ray Charles see the light.

Anonymous said...

At 65 an a lifer Mississippian….is it possible to say “my home state sucks” without retribution?

Anonymous said...

Official in a town of population 565 can make off with over $100k. Allegedly.

How much can a dude representing a state of 3 million citizens pocket? We don’t seem to get those answers from Shad.

Anonymous said...

Hickory Flat Broke and Hickory Flat busted. Whoever is in charge over in Possum Neck better be honest!

Anonymous said...

@6:58 are you in 7th grade or 8th grade?

Anonymous said...

Clerk must not be in the same circles as Chief Potentate Lumumbles and Canton Municple Utilities. Until Shad goes after Jackson city leaders and CMU, this is just fluff…
Come on Shad, go after the big fish…
/sarcasm. :)

Anonymous said...

Her mug shot screams " Ah....what ever the hell ever".

Anonymous said...

University of Phoenix degree ? I'm guessing ?

Anonymous said...

This is making a huge dent in the Memphis dope boys' cash flow.

Anonymous said...

DON'T PAY CASH to these clerks ! This is happening everywhere.

Anonymous said...

This is very good, as all government corruption (regardless of the size or amount) should be exposed and the perpetrators prosecuted.
However, the real questions are: When will the State Auditor's office investigate the City of Jackson and its multitude of nefarious departments? Or is that job too big such that the State Auditor is merely satisfied with small town idiots and low hanging fruit that lead to quick and easy news headlines?

Kingfish said...

Shad just can't go in and investigate whenever he feels like it where municipalities are concerned. Complaint usually has to be filed. Take the Jackson garbage contract. Some of you are screaming for him to investigate. He can't just investigate Jackson because it looks shady. Money first has to be spent, that means Richard's has to be paid. Also a complaint must be filed although if RD is paid, I'm sure someone will file it.

As for CMU, his office filed three demands on CMU. The AG finally prosecuted them after sitting on them for several years. The insurance company paid the demands. Tell me exactly what he can do since the insurance company paid.

Anonymous said...

@8:32am - How do you propose people pay then? Sure as hell ain’t giving them a check so they can drain my bank account.

Anonymous said...

Wonder the over and under on small town cash pocketeers is ? About 10 years ago I watched my cash payment for water bill in the City of Jackson go directly Ol Gals purse. I reported this to the City Clerk at the time.

Anonymous said...

11:13 : Check ? Pay with a money order. Hard to steal those...

Anonymous said...

If Gov. Feel faces no consequences then rubes like this shouldn't either.

Anonymous said...

My office investigates these matters, identifying the facts, but we only make arrests when prosecutors choose to charge someone.
Sounds like chad is clearing the air about phill Bryant

Anonymous said...

@4:30 it sounds like he's trying to cover his ass.

He's done. His career is over.

Anonymous said...

10:48 : Not yet....he still has an out if he chooses to do it.


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