BELZONI, Miss. — A Mississippi court clerk has been indicted and arrested on charges that he overpaid himself and created fake court cases to drive up fees he collected, officials said.

Humphreys County Chancery Court Clerk Lawrence Browder was indicted Monday on one count of making fraudulent statements. Mississippi Auditor Shad White said Browder was arrested Monday and released. It’s unclear if Browder has a lawyer.

White said Browder illegally obtained more than $237,000.

If the money is not repaid within 30 days, White said Browder faces a civil lawsuit.

White said Browder forced his staff to create false youth court and lunacy cases from January 2016 to January 2017, pocketing $31,350 in fees. The remaining $206,000 comes from fees White said Browder paid himself that were above a $90,000 yearly cap allowed by law.

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