The Mississippi Department of Human Services issued the following statement.
A Hinds County, Miss. resident who was charged with Embezzlement following an investigation conducted by agents of the Investigations Division of the Mississippi Department of Human Service (MDHS) has entered into a plea agreement.
MDHS announced that Lashanda Feazell, 46, of Hinds County, entered into a plea agreement with the District Attorney concerning Embezzlement before the Hinds County Circuit Court on June 20, 2022. While Director of Procurement at MDHS, Feazell used the agency's credit card to pay her personal cellular phone bill in the amount of $5,741.00 from August 2018 through January 2021. Feazell has paid restitution for the full amount of monies she was not entitled to receive. Feazell is also subject to one year of non-adjudicated probation under the Mississippi Department of Corrections supervision.
“This investigation demonstrates the strengthened internal controls we have put in place to identify, investigate, and prosecute fraud, waste, and abuse at any level, by any individual," MDHS Executive Director Robert G. "Bob," Anderson said. Anderson further noted, “This matter was identified through an internal audit which developed into a full-blown investigation that later resulted in an indictment.”
Suspected fraud can be reported to MDHS online by submitting the MDHS Fraud Tip Form at https://www.mdhs.ms.gov/
19 comments:
Thanks for all you do for Mississippi, Lashanda
If the agency ever called that cell phone to do business with her they SHOULD pay the bill
This means her record will be clean. She will handle your money again.
Who are her Chain of Command that signed off on this for so long? Seems like no controls in place or controls being ignored. Sounds familiar!
This lady did not or should not have approved her own paperwork!
Good job MDHS for NOT being good stewards of the taxpayers money. SMDH
The MDHS chair of command in action again, know nothing, do nothing. Train Wreck!
So no punishment, just restitution and non-adjudicated probation...
She received a Hinds Co. blessing! It is a "non-adjudicated" plea, so if/when she finishes her probation period the conviction never happened and the case is dismissed.
She can continue to work for Hinds County.
She paid the money back but did not pay interest, nor the cost of the investigation.
Hinds Co. has been berry berry good to me.
Why hasn’t the wonder-boy Shad audited all of Hinds County? Seems to me like he’s only going for the low hanging fruit. Not to mention his lack of interest in the former Guv’s welfare kickback scheme. I, for one, won’t be voting for this fraud for anything else he runs for.
As MDHS Executive Director Bob Anderson stated; strengthened controls are in place. Blowing smoke and bullshit, controls always been in place, just no one gave a shit for 3 years and did not look at her paperwork!
Now you can spend it any way you want with the semantics, but a whole lot of higher ups dropped that ball!
She cannot approve her own vouchers!
She doesn’t deserve any time! That’s on the leadership at MDHS they are the ones that got suckered!
This is an example of elementary accounting! Who’s really running that ship! I know just getting that high 4 in PERS with blinders on is the real purpose of this Leadership! No accountability.
She is still a thief. Maybe just penny anty theft but it is theft. She shouldn't get a pass just because her boss was too lazy to catch her. Maybe Shad should take a better look at her boss.
to the commenter @200pm. I know you are pissed but MDHS DID do their job. They caught her and made her make it right. They CAN'T keep an employee from doing something wrong but they CAN fix it. And please don't come back with they can do a better job of hiring people. I don't work for MDHS or know anyone who does. I'm just a citizen saying thanks for correcting the problem like we all expect them to do.
She should speak to someone of the Hinds County Board of Supervisors they obviously can appreciate her talents. She'll be back to work in no time!
CMU would hire her in a flash.
2:49, plenty of conservatives share the same feelings about Shad and his credibility. His lack of actions on high profile cases (Phil & Stacey) are an absolute embarrassment and will be the end of his political career. The irony is that both Phil and Stacey not only held boy wonder’s position, but Shad literally worked on both of their campaigns. Bonus, Stacey is from Shad’s home county. Truly a sad state of affairs that won’t be forgotten in future election cycles. Some much potential wasted on crooks.
An old car dealer in MS told me twenty-five years ago to pay.the help a fair wage or they will steal from you.
That whole agency was full of crooks.
Some rich irony here for all you supremacists. For her $5000 cellphone bill embezzlement, Lashanda gets indicted and gets to serve probation with MDOC. Please note the time period, which extends through the same time period (and even later) than the criminal conspiracy that Gov. Phil Bryant orchestrated, also with MDHS funds. The criminal conspiracy concealed by Auditor Shad White, who ludicrously claims Phil Bryant so courageously blew the whistle on.
What's amazing about Shad's work, is that he never catches any big fish. I guess the people at the top are just more honest.
Shad did an excellent job of going after small fish with gusto to try to distract us from Feel's crimes, but the sun is now shining bright, and the former guv is clearly scared.
Just a reminder for all those dumping on MDHS. The agency didn't make the deal with the former employee, the DA's Office did. The DA has full authority to resolve cases once they are referred to the DA. Maybe it took a little longer than it should have for DHS to catch this person taking the state's money, but they worked up the case and turned it over to the DA. That's the way it's supposed to work.
Post a Comment