Former Stone County employee guilty of embezzlement, Mississippi auditor says

A former Stone County Road Department employee pleaded guilty Thursday to felony embezzlement for selling scrap metal from the county’s rubbish site and pocketing the money, State Auditor Shad White said in a release.

Tyler Loper entered the plea in Circuit Court, resulting in a sentence of five years of non-adjudicated probation, meaning he will not have a felony record if he completes the term of his sentence. He was ordered to report to probation officials during the five-year term.

The state auditor’s office worked with the Stone County Sheriff’s Department on the investigation.

“I’m thankful to the Stone County Sheriff’s Office for their help with this case and to the prosecutor who helped bring this case to a close,” White said in the release. “We will continue to work closely with law enforcement to make sure your tax dollars are spent properly.”

To report fraud, call the state auditor’s office at 800-321-1275, or call by clicking the red button on the agency’s website at osa.ms.gov.

Margaret Baker

Sun Herald

601-909-0541

Margaret is an investigative reporter whose search for truth exposed corrupt sheriffs, a police chief and various jailers and led to the first prosecution of a federal hate crime for the murder of a transgendered person. She worked on the Sun Herald’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Hurricane Katrina team. When she pursues a big story, she is relentless.