Former Simpson County employee arrested for embezzlement

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Special Agents from the State Auditor’s Office have arrested a former Simpson County Sheriff’s office employee for embezzlement.

The former employee is Stephanie Cuellar. She worked as an administrative assistant.

Cuellar is accused of embezzling check and cash payments meant to pay bonds for people to be released from prison. Evidence from the investigation shows over $16,000 missing from January 2017 to October 2018.

Cuellar voluntarily surrendered to Special Agents at the Simpson County Jail on Tuesday.

“In times like these, it is important for the law to continue to be enforced. Just as we would still arrest someone for robbing a gas station right now, we must also continue to enforce the law when someone steals from government,” said State Auditor Shad White.

Her bond was set at $30,000 by the court. She has since been released from custody.

If convicted, Cuellar faces up to 10 years in prison and $25,000 in fines.

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Former Lawrence County conservation district clerk arrested for embezzlement

LAWRENCE COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – State Auditor Shad White said special agents from his office arrested former Lawrence County Soil and Water Conservation District clerk Brandy Russell. She was indicted for embezzlement by a grand jury.

Russell is accused of using conservation district accounts to pay herself for bogus travel reimbursement requests, purchase her own groceries, and write checks directly to herself for cash.

White said after her scheme was discovered, Russell repaid the conservation district $10,260 and her employment was terminated. However, after the incident was reported to the Auditor’s office, investigators identified additional taxpayer loss. A demand letter, including interest and investigative expense worth $8,733.05, was issued to Russell at the time of her arrest.

“The Auditor’s office will continue to hold those who take public money accountable at every level, from large state agencies down to soil and water conservation districts,” said White. “Thank you to the agents in my office who worked this case and put a stop to the theft.”

Williams surrendered to special agents at the Lawrence County Jail on Wednesday. Her bond was set at $10,000 by the court, and she has been released from custody.

If convicted, Williams faces up to 10 years in prison and $5,000 in fines.

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Former Jones County Supervisor convicted of embezzlement

JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) – A former president of the Jones County Board of Supervisors was convicted of embezzlement Monday.

Special agents from State Auditor Shad White’s office arrested Jerome Wyatt in October 2018 after he was indicted on two counts of embezzlement and two counts of fraud.

Wyatt, of Jones County’s Beat 5, pleaded guilty to embezzlement Monday and was sentenced to spend five years under the supervision of the department of corrections and complete 200 hours of community service. The case was prosecuted by District Attorney Anthony J. Buckley.

According to White, Wyatt used a Laurel Middle School mentoring program, “The Gentlemen’s Club,” to embezzle more than $2,000 from Jones County schools by submitting fraudulent reimbursement requests and also pocketing cash from the sale of a county-owned vehicle to a scrap yard.

“This plea should send a message to elected officials and others around the state that no one has the right to steal taxpayer money,” White said. “I want to thank investigators in the Auditor’s office for their work in proving this case and making the arrest, and I want to thank the prosecutors in District Attorney Buckley’s office and DA Buckley for their work in obtaining this felony plea.”

White’s office discovered the fraudulent reimbursement requests during a routine financial audit of Jones County.

According to White, the fraudulent payments and embezzlement totaled to $2,819.70. The State Auditor’s Office issued a demand of $6,076.46 to account for interest and investigative costs, which Wyatt has paid in full.

Wyatt was not reelected in 2019, and he will not be eligible to hold any public office in the future after the felony conviction.

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