by MBJ Staff Published: April 17,2013
Tags: audit, auditing, auditor, boats, foundation, ownership, sale, sell, state agency, tax, taxpayer
BILOXI — State Auditor Stacey Pickering has met with Mississippi Department of Marine Resource Foundation board members concerning boats owned by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR). The board agreed to meet within the next seven to 10 days to discuss transferring ownership of two boats that were being leased from the DMR Foundation [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: March 20,2013
Tags: audit, auditing, auditor, board of supervisors, chancery clerk, county government, misappropriation, state agency, state government, supervisor
IUKA — State Auditor Stacey Pickering has returned $92,583.71 to the Tishomingo County Board of Supervisors following an investigation into former Chancery Clerk Hayden Ables’ misappropriation of public funds. The Auditor’s Office found that Ables used his position as chancery clerk to obtain personal benefit for services he did not perform. Ables submitted false documentation [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: January 30,2013
Tags: agency, audit, auditing, auditor, case, city government, civil trial, elected official, executive, funds, mayor, misappropriation, money, municipal, municipality, politician, public official, SCANDAL, sex, state government, taxpayer
SOUTHAVEN — Mayor Greg Davis’ civil trial in Jackson has been continued until May, but there are discussions that the judge in the case has urged both sides to settle the matter before then. At the end of yesterday’s hearing, The Commercial Appeal reports a Hinds County chancellor called attorneys for both sides into his [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: January 29,2013
Tags: agency, appropriation, audit, auditing, auditor, education, elementary school, funding, high school, junior high school, lawmaker, legislation, legislative, legislator, Legislature, public education, public school, school, school ffunding, secondary education, state government
JACKSON — Mississippi Auditor Stacey Pickering is calling on lawmakers to write new, stricter rules on computing how much state money goes to local schools. The Republican told the House Appropriations Committee he can’t approve the Mississippi Adequate Education Program formula, as required by law, because his office has found unreliable numbers on attendance, students [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: November 15,2012
Tags: arraign, arraignment, arrest, auditing, auditor, city, court, embezzlement, equipment, government, indictment, judge, judicial, judiciary, justice, law, law enforcement, legal, municipal, municipality, state, steal, stealing, surplus property
BASSFIELD — State Auditor Stacey Pickering says two individuals turned themselves in to the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office last Tuesday following multiple count indictments. These indictments are a result of the investigation into surplus property purchased by the City of Bassfield and converted to personal use. Brenda Saulters and Billy Matthews were booked on the [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: November 12,2012
Tags: audit, auditing, auditor, bond, crime, criminal, elected official, embezzle, embezzlement, embezzler, investigation, law enforcement, money, public official, refund, repayment, state agency, steal, stealing, tax, taxpayer, theft, thief
BROOKHAVEN — Mississippi Auditor Stacey Pickering has closed his office’s investigation into embezzlement by a former Lincoln County Circuit Clerk. Pickering last week delivered a check for more than $61,000 to Lincoln County Supervisors. The Brookhaven Daily Leader reports the check represents the last of the money the auditor’s office says Terry Lynn Watkins had [...] [...]

The accounting firm KPMG, LLP has made numerous promotions and is transferring one associate. Dorin Lavric has been promoted to audit manager. He received his education at the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova. Lavric transferred from the KPMG Moldova office in 2008 as an Audit Associate. Lauren Massey has been promoted to audit senior [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: July 20,2012
Tags: appropriations, audit, auditing, auditor, budget, costs, law, lawmaker, legislation, legislative, Legislature, supplies
JACKSON — Just like any business or state agency, the Mississippi Legislature needs supplies, staff and equipment to operate. Lawmakers need coffee to jump-start the day. From April 12, 2011 to May 3 of this year, it took $22,056 of coffee and $13,406 of bottled water to wet the whistles of legislators, staff members and [...] [...]
LONG BEACH — State Auditor Stacey Pickering has ordered the former director of the South Mississippi Regional Center in Long Beach repay the state $424,000 for improper payments to employees. The Sun Herald reports the auditor has also turned the case over to the district attorney. Last year, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health and [...] [...]
by Associated Press Published: March 28,2012
Tags: audit, auditing, auditors, clinic, credit card, entertainment, investigation, law enforcement, mayor, misappropriations, misdemeanor, municipal government, scam, SCANDAL, school bus, sex shop, taxes, taxpayers, traffic violation, treatment
SOUTHAVEN — Southaven Mayor Greg Davis has surrendered to authorities after he was charged with passing a school bus in a private vehicle that displayed blue police-type lights. The Commercial Appeal reports the misdemeanor charge, stemming from an incident last week. The embattled mayor was already the target of state auditors and the FBI investigating [...] [...]