Monday, November 22, 2021

Shad Busts Supervisor

 State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement.

 Today State Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from his office have arrested Jones County District 5 Supervisor Travares Comegys after he was indicted for embezzlement by a local grand jury. A $5,719.24 demand letter was presented to Comegys upon his arrest. The demand amount includes interest and investigative expenses.

Comegys is accused of using a county-issued vehicle and cell phone to operate a beauty supply business for his own personal benefit from July 2020 to April 2021. In addition to traveling to multiple salons and barbershops outside Jones County, Comegys allegedly used his Jones County-owned vehicle on a trip to the New Orleans airport. Comegys also purportedly used his county-owned cell phone almost exclusively to operate his personal business.

 “Using taxpayer resources or property for your personal benefit is not allowed,” said Auditor White. “This message should be clear to every elected official in the state by now. The credit for this case, as always, goes to the hard-working men and women of the Office of the State Auditor.” 



Comegys was arrested by Special Agents and transported to the Jones County Sheriff’s office this morning. Bail will be set by the court.

If convicted on all counts, Comegys faces up to 10 years in prison and $5,000 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 Anthony Buckley.

A $100,000 surety bond covers Comegys’s time as a member of the Jones County Board of Supervisors. Surety bonds are similar to insurance designed to protect taxpayers from corruption. Comegys 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 any time by clicking the red button at www.osa.ms.gov or via telephone during normal business hours at 1-(800)-321-1275.

 

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Shad really seems focused on everywhere but Hinds county. Small taters that's barely newsworthy. Local elected steals 5 grand using a card ISSUED to him. Imagine that. Now imagine 82 counties with Sups and County Coordinators ......all issued a credit card. Keeping in mind Hinds Counties new hire has already been busted by Shad.............wake up.

Anonymous said...

It really is starting to appear more than obvious that Shad is deliberately avoiding the bigger fish. IF his team and he truly audited every agency for the last ten years, they'd find billions.

Anonymous said...

Hinds County is "too big to fail." It is off limits.

Anonymous said...

People never learn from other peoples past behavior.

Anonymous said...

You got to admit, Shad knows the value of a penny.

Anonymous said...

Remember six short years ago when Madison County Supervisors broached the idea of putting a 'tracker system' in all county vehicles? Supervisor Paul Griffin, said, for the record, 'Ain't no way in hell they'll put one of those in my vehicle!'

He backed-down the newbies on the board and it never came up again. You jess don't mess with a man who has his own lake courtesy of the taxpayers.

Anonymous said...

A new meaning to their motto ..."Free State of Jones".

But I agree with the above comments.

Lil' Shad goes after the Poodles, while he seems to be scared to capture a Pit Bull.


krusatyr said...

Free State Of Jones was once a belligerent, rebellious corridor of scandal. How has it shrunk to wigs, fake eyelashes and hair straightener traded out the back of a county car?

Albert Schweitzer said...


GO SHAD!

but please do not forget we need you need you most of all in Hinds county.

Paul Mitchell said...

Just curious, have all of the criminals that Shad has arrested been Democrats?

How many of the 57 supervisors arrested in Operation Pretense were Democrats?

I'm trying to see a pattern here.

Anonymous said...

@4:14 PM - A lake? Do tell.

Anonymous said...

Shad is doing some good things, but this? Any supervisor in the state will tell you they are "on call" 24/7 and if they happen to make a stop for personal reasons it is "incidental" to their supervisor duties. The Louisiana trip is the only thing that might stick if he challenges this. I doubt Lynn Fitch even pursues this one. The county might recoup $150. This is Barney Fife stuff.

Anonymous said...

“Using taxpayer resources or property for your personal benefit is not allowed,” said Auditor White. So a Supervisor can't receive a personal call on a county phone, but all of our elected state officials can use taxpayer dollars to advertise state "events and services" on Supertalk. Got it. All those DHS ads at Vaught Hemingway and public service spots by the PSC commissioners are kosher. And the never ending ads for Andy Gipson's veterans event are not self serving at all.

Think Phil ever took a personal call on his desk phone or sent a personal email on this state computer? This is so bush league when you consider what is going on in this state.

Anonymous said...

A state or local government employee who is supplied a vehicle is supposed to track business versus personal miles, just like a private industry employee who is supplied a vehicle is taxed for non-business use. The personal miles are taxable income. But they are not illegal miles.

Around ten years ago, the IRS recognized the silliness of trying to say company cell phones could not be used for personal calls. There was a time when they said you had to track usage. This whole thing seems to be a stretch. Or a vendetta by whoever this supervisor beat.

Anonymous said...

David Archie uses the Hinds County portable podium for personal press conferences weekly.

Anonymous said...

Almost enough to make you wonder who let Shad know there was ripe low hangin fruit ready to pick.

Anonymous said...

Shad taking a page out of how Mike Moore got famous.

Anonymous said...

But we are all still supposed to believe that Phil z Bryant was the whistleblower on his own employee? Come on, Shad

Anonymous said...

@ 7:52 - Not familiar with Sulphur Springs? You not from 'round here are ya?

Appropriately named, Griffin's lake-name reminds us of what smell?

Anonymous said...

Really, this is just petty and mean. Not something at all to crow about. --Anybody that has ever had a company car or phone uses it for some personal use. Probably should have rented a car to go to NOLA but who gives a crap. Seems silly to own both a personal and business car to use 25 miles a week on personal errands etc. Same with phone. Most plans are unlimited use, so the state is out nothing.---Maybe Shad should look in the mirror a little. I'm sure he's provided a state vehicle. Have you never detoured to a convenience store to pick up a coke and bag of chips.---Sure this was a technical violation of the law but really, did you have to actually go and have him arrested and humiliated over this. Not cool.

Anonymous said...

Shad engages in political theater to raise his profile and stature for when he inevitably seeks higher office. But I won't vote for him for another position until he turns that lens onto Jackson and Hinds County.

Anonymous said...

Come on Shad, these kind of press releases are hurting you.

StarRider said...

The cell phone is a little much, surely the phone is on an unlimited plan, so using it for personal reasons doesn't increase the cost of the phone. Some private companies require use of a company cell phone account for security reasons, you gonna insist your employees carry two cell phones everywhere they go? That's absurd.

Anonymous said...

10:22 : Correct. Until he has one for about 15 or 16 here in Hinds...........

Anonymous said...

Shadrack is a 5-foot-six grand-standing publicity hound. Needs a good ass-whipping.

Anonymous said...

Shad probably came on here looking for pats on the back. Apparently a lot of JJ readers have business cell phones and didn’t fall for this PR stunt.

How dare that supervisor do what state officials do 10x daily.

Anonymous said...

Book E'm Shad-O

I love stories about Shad arresting corrupt politicians. Can't get enough of them. Unfortunately, Shad won't be able to either.

Hang Low Sweet Fruit said...

Prior to Shad, we had an absolute do-nothing state auditor and summa you same circus-clowns were clamoring about a total lack of law enforcement from that office. Now that we have an active auditor making weekly arrests and telling us about them...all you can do is bitch, moan and holler about low hanging fruit, his plans for higher office, which criminals weren't really all that bad and where you think his efforts should be directed.

We gave the man the job...now get the hell out of his way and let him do it.



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