State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement.
Today State Auditor Shad White announced that Special Agents from his office have arrested Luther Russell, former Laurel Public Works Director, for allegedly using heavy equipment owned by the city of Laurel to conduct work on his personal property and for allegedly tampering with evidence relevant to this investigation by ordering employees to disable the GPS tracking device on a city-owned vehicle.
“Thank you to the agents in my office who did the hard work in uncovering this scheme,” said State Auditor Shad White. “We will continue to work closely with prosecutors to get record results for taxpayers.”
Russell allegedly instructed employees to load the City of Laurel Track Hoe on the City of Laurel Low-Boy trailer and transport them to his property where he then allegedly used them to conduct work on his personal property.
The road outside of Russell’s house was damaged by the heavy equipment when it was moved to his property. After being instructed by the county to repair the damaged roadway, Russell allegedly instructed his employees to disable the GPS tracking device on the vehicle to conceal the vehicle’s movement so it could be used to repair the damaged roadway.
Russell faces up to $8,000 in fines and 30 years in prison. All persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Kingfish note: The grand jury indicted Russell on February 23 but it was not served until yesterday.
16 comments:
WTH? This is The 'Sip. His activities are perfectly legal here. Didn't Shad get the memo? If grifting to the tune of $9 Million is legal...
Wow so using public equipment for personal use is a crime? I know at least one Rankin Country Sheriff and his Mama’s chicken farm who Shad needs to investigate. But I guess Shad prefers low hanging fruit and democrats.
Wow. Guess we can order all those roadblocks to be taken down. Way to go shad. Now the streets are safe
Dang that grand jury most have been under 30 years of age. Most older adults know that this shigity is wrong but overlooked. How in the Hell do people think these politicians and people with government resources do well in life. You scratch my back and I’ll watch your back. Dang these young snitches!
So he faces 30 years in prison, which is what young Joseph Demarious Brown got from judge Wooten for killing a woman and her unborn child in a drive by hit.
But, but, everyone is doing this.
To 12:19 p.m.
Bless your little man syndrome heart, CJ. Why don't you talk about your libelous and slanderous reporting on Pat Sullivan?
Should have gone to Ole Miss and done white collar crime in the 'Sip instead.
Sheriff Bryan Bailey has proven, you can cover for dirty deputies, the world famous “Goon Squad,” lie to a grand jury, steal county property, commit multiple acts of malfeasance, and walk completely free. It’s all in who you are good friends with. “ The Height of the Ridiculous.”
Dude should have gotten on the Human Services gravy train. Shad never saw it go by.
Who cares, this wont get you elected Shadster
Is that Ranking County Attorney Jason Dare at 1:34/ The catty tone sure sounds like him.
I too immediately thought of Bryan Bailey. Here's one from the New York Times, in case anyone wants to sue for libel:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/27/us/mississippi-inmate-labor-sheriff-farm.html
I can't imagine why he's still a free man, except maybe his father-in-law still holds enough sway over who's going to be the next governor.
Damn. This guy obviously had no connections whatsoever. He must be from up north or somethin'
It isn't that Shad doing his job is a bad thing, but if everyone in the state sent out a press release every damned time they did it, there would be so many that a lot of folks just wouldn't have the time to comment on them all. Of course, most of those plain ol' job-doing folks are either too busy doing them, too tired from doing them, or - and I'm suspecting this is the biggie - don't have a staff to draft up such routine stuff.
Boss: "Bob, I've been a manager with WattaMcBurger for 30 years and you're the best burger-flipper I've ever seen!"
Bob: "Well, thanks. Can I have a $137,000-a-year raise?"
Boss: "WHAT? WHY?"
Bob: "I want the world to know my BigWoppers per day tally so I need a staff to send out press releases and create content..."
Boss: "Yeah, well, how do I say this politely...hell-fuckin-no. Now get yer ass back to flame broiler, big guy."
So, Shad, how about taking a similar look at the Sheriff of Rankin County?
Sure, you'd step on some toes (mostly Bailey's father-in-law IDR's toes). But maybe it would show everyone you aren't just more of the same.
A lot of us are sick of having a protected class of the politically-connected. What about it?
Shad can look in every Mississippi County Supervisor’s personal shed and find thousands of dollars of county equipment borrowed for personal use! They just forgot to bring it back.
They also, may find those missing trusties (inmate) that had allegedly escaped years ago.
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