Friday, November 1, 2019

Thugs of the Day

State Auditor Shadrick White issued the following statement. 


Today Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from his office have arrested two former public employees in Smith County after concluding separate investigations. Helen Bounds, former Town Clerk of Raleigh, was presented with a demand letter worth $48,339.25 when she was arrested for embezzlement. Justin Middleton, former solid waste clerk for the Smith County Board of Supervisors, was issued a demand letter worth $33,525.29 when she was arrested for fraud and embezzlement. A grand jury assembled by District Attorney Matt Sullivan chose to indict both women. Each demand amount includes interest and investigative expenses.


Bounds is accused of using her position to embezzle public money by issuing 30 unapproved payroll checks to herself between January 2012 and July 2018. Since she had little supervision, Bounds was able to hide the payments from both the mayor and board of aldermen. Investigators determined the Town of Raleigh lost over $23,000 after tax and retirement withholdings for the checks were calculated.

Bounds
 Middleton allegedly embezzled over $20,000 from the Smith County Solid Waste Department by manipulating the payment software used by the office. In addition to improperly crediting her own account, she is accused of stealing cash payments meant to pay fees for solid waste collection by entering false credits or closing and recreating accounts. Her scheme was reported when accounting inconsistencies were found.

Both women surrendered to Special Agents at the Smith County Jail. Both were released from custody after posting a $5,000 bond.

“These individuals stole a substantial amount from the people of Smith County. Unfortunately, their schemes are similar to others we have recently seen around the state,” said Auditor White. “Voters and government employees need to share the stories of these types of embezzlement and be on the lookout for similar schemes around the state. The only way we will stop all theft of public funds is by working together.”

If convicted, Bounds faces up to $5,000 in fines and 20 years in prison. Middleton will face up to $5,000 in fines and 10 years in prison. All persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Middleton will be prosecuted by District Attorney Sullivan, and Bounds will be prosecuted by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office.

Middleton
Bounds’ time as Town Clerk of Raleigh is covered by surety bonds worth $65,000, and two $50,000 surety bonds cover Middleton’s employment as a solid waste department clerk. A surety bond is similar to insurance designed to protect taxpayers from corruption. Both women will remain liable for the full amount of each respective demand in addition to criminal proceedings.

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


23 comments:

Anonymous said...

No doubt they'll both vote for Bubba Hood since he never prosecuted corruption during 16 years on office. Maybe when they both get out they can join Dickie Scruggs' Traveling Redemption Circus.

StableSystems said...

This is where all our tax money is going. No wonder politicians spend millions of dollars to get into office. Look at Bennie Thompson, went to congress with just a suitcase now worth millions. And the beat goes on, & the beat goes on.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Fish, you know that use of the word "thug" is racist...I thought you more woke than that.

Anonymous said...

In the State of Mississippi, government corruption transcends race and region!

With that said, I hope that they all receive the same sentences that the other public servants received.

Anonymous said...

Goodness how fat they are. I've observed that many of these "clerks" and other government "office" workers tend to be so obese.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Anonymous 10:12...They're both white. How is that racist?

Anonymous said...

This is interesting in regard to PERS. Obviously cutting all those payroll checks to herself bumped her salary and affected her high five years. Don't know if she's retired now or even eligible....but PERS has some figurin' to do.

Anonymous said...

10:24, look around Mississippi, and you'll see that most everyone is overweight, obese, and morbidly obese. That's what happens when you eat fried everything and the EBT cards don't restrict crap food.

Anonymous said...

I don't know who writes these statements for State Auditor Shad White, but they need a little training in grammar and syntax. The statements talks about a "demand letter worth $48,339.25" and another "demand letter worth $33,525.21." Actually, until such time as some money is collected, the demand letters themselves are not "worth" anything any more than a bill sent to my house is "worth" anything even though it demands that I make payment in a particular amount. Rather, the demand letters seek the recovery of $48,33.25 and of $33,525.21. Whether the demand letters are ever worth anything in and of themselves depends on whether the State Auditor or the DA ever collects any money on them. Granted, this is not a major point of law, but whoever is writing the statements for the State Auditor should take the time at least to be accurate in what is stated.

Anonymous said...

Good work but still small fish. They are many well know big crooks still out there. I guess have to load with white thieves before hitting places like Jackson and Hinds county so the "R" can not be played.

Anonymous said...

10:01
The attorney general DOES NOT prosecute embezzlement cases. That is left to the local district attorney. Try not to let your prejudice against anyone not republican shine a light on your ignorance.

Anonymous said...

The good ol' boys and girls in the legislature ought to pass a law that anyone stealing as part of their job should lose all retirement benefits. Chris Epps is sitting in jail pulling down a pers check. That ain't right.

Anonymous said...

It's downright refreshing to hear about internal government checks and balances, with corrective action being taken. Go Shad White, go! Soon, maybe we'll be calling you guvnah.

Cynical Sam said...

Good job Mr. Shad. Stay the course.

Anonymous said...

@11:41 why does the PR state that the embezzlement case against "Bounds will be prosecuted by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office."?

Also, looks like @10:01 referred to corruption.

You know it still isn't too late to get help with reading comprehension.

TheClintonscantsuicideusall said...

Come on back to Canton Shad. Lots of problems here from the Top down.

Anonymous said...

LOL @11:41. That's going to be a real surprise to the prosecutor's in the AG's office who handle nothing almost nothing but embezzlement cases.

Anonymous said...

11:46 if someone over the age of 61 files for SS and begins receiving it, then goes to jail, or turns 62 while incarcerated and files, do you think the government will stop their SS retirement check. Nope. Get off your PERS-trashing bandwagon and find something else to bitch about.

Anonymous said...

Does it seem to anyone else that Shad is beginning to look a bit like like Judge Reinhold holding the bank's door open for the, er, gentlemen in the ski masks carrying dufflebags and machine guns while he is on the way to arrest some kid who is trying to cash the $100 check the kid stole from his grandparents and forged to take his crush out on a "fancy" date?

If it matters, I am asking for me, not for a friend.

Anonymous said...

Canton is corrupt; height, width, length, girth, breadth, radius, circumference and longitudinally. Ripe for the picking. And they meet to figure out who's the most vulnerable and nervous.

Anonymous said...

1:58 PM, 11-1-2019, wrote: "11:46 if someone over the age of 61 files for SS and begins receiving it, then goes to jail, or turns 62 while incarcerated and files, do you think the government will stop their SS retirement check."

Unless the law has changed, the fed can/could withhold from SS (I don't think it can withhold from SSI, however) to pay "federal debts" like restitution ordered by federal courts, tax debts, etc.

Even if it now cannot do so, the state being able to take restitution for public monies stolen by someone convicted of the theft from that convicted thief's PERS, especially the portion supplied by public funds but also the thief's contribution, seems perfectly reasonable. The question of whether an issuer of a surety bond who had to pay off could _garnish_ is a bit trickier, but if a statute were properly drafted, I think it too would be reasonable.

Why should a thief not be forced to pay restitution because of their age or receive some special "pass" on paying restitution because of the otherwise-lawful source the funds?

Anonymous said...

@
11:01 PM
I don't think Shad wants to become the victim of a tragic deer hunting accident.

Some entities are just above us. It is part of human history. Some class always rules another. If there isn't a King, then there will be a Comrade Commissar.

Anonymous said...

9:33 - Please understand that nobody cares what seems 'perfectly reasonable' to you. The feds do not have the authority to stop SS retirement, even though they may be able to 'claw back' or garnishee certain portions to satisfy federal liens, just as the IRS can. They can't withhold retirement because of a felony, nor can the state of Mississippi, regardless of your feelings.



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