Mississippi Office of the State Auditor

Former Jones County Road Foreman and Contractor Plead Guilty JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced that Richard Creel has pleaded guilty to one count of Embezzlement and Tommie Landrum has pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit and one count of Accessory before Fact. Creel and Landrum engaged in a scheme to embezzle county-owned culverts and transport the property to a predetermined location provided by Landrum. “The dedicated team at the State Auditor’s office has a zero-tolerance policy for fraud and we will continue to work with prosecutors to get record results for taxpayers,” said State Auditor Shad White. Creel and Landrum were both prosecuted in the Jones County Circuit Court. Creel was sentenced to 5 years post-release supervision and has been ordered to pay $4,925.24 in restitution and $2,927.50 in fines. Landrum was sentenced to 5 years to serve with two years suspended after completion of 3 years of non-adjudicated probation and has been ordered to pay $2,462.62 in restitution and $2,927.50 in fines. Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s office at any time by clicking the red button on the Auditor’s website or calling 1-(800) 321-1275 during normal business hours.

State Auditor Shad White Announces New Audit to Find Waste in Small Agencies, Boards, and Commissions JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced an initiative to be led by the State Auditor’s Government Accountability Division to audit small agencies, boards, and commissions to identify wasteful spending and noncompliance with state law and regulations. “During my time as State Auditor, we’ve identified hundreds of millions of dollars in waste across state government, and we’re not stopping,” said State Auditor Shad White. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a large federal program or a small state agency; if they’re wasting your tax dollars, we’re going to find it and let taxpayers know.” Previously White’s office conducted an audit for waste at large state agencies called Project Momentum. It found hundreds of millions of dollars in waste, like: • Wasteful spending on state vehicles and office space • State agencies buying expensive technology, like a $5,800 television screen • Wasteful use of the state plane by politicians • Too much spending outside the classroom in education “It’s time to look at the small agencies, too, so I’ve tasked my staff with auditing and analyzing these tucked-away, sometimes-forgotten government offices,” said White. The work is scheduled to be complete before the end of 2027.

Audit Finds Millions Spent Despite Large Number of Student Absences at Child Care Centers JACKSON, Miss. – Approximately 20% of childcare centers accounted for 90% of reported paid absences in Mississippi’s Child Care Payment Program (CCPP), according to a new report released by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor. The report also found taxpayers likely paid between $13.8 million and $30.9 million during Federal Fiscal Year 2024 for children who were reported absent from childcare centers. “We all remember the massive Minnesota daycare fraud and the ‘Learing Center,’” said White. “While we’ve not yet found something as egregious, taxpayer money is clearly paying centers in Mississippi when kids are not showing up.” The report found taxpayers likely paid up to $30.9 million during Federal Fiscal Year 2024 for children who were reported absent from childcare centers. Five centers alone accounted for more than 40% of unattended-yet-paid days among sampled childcare centers. Due to Biden-era rules, providers are paid with CCPP dollars based on enrollment rather than attendance, meaning centers receive taxpayer-funded payments whether children show up or not. Auditors found that more than 13% of sampled payments were made for days when recipient children were reported absent. Current federal regulations allow childcare providers to continue receiving payments for up to 60 consecutive days of absences before a child’s certificate may be revoked. Only then is money cut off from the centers. “As a father I know that if my kid missed school for even one day, I would get notified immediately,” said Auditor White. “The fact that these centers still receive tax dollars even if the kids are gone for up to two months is completely crazy and a total waste of your tax dollars.” The full report can be found under the “Reports” tab on the Auditor’s website and searching “Child Care.”

Auditor Announces Another Guilty Plea as Part of Operation Payback JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced that Benjamin Coleman has pleaded guilty to one count of Fraudulent Statements and Representations. Coleman submitted fraudulent weekly certification sheets to obtain unemployment funds from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. “My office will continue to drop the hammer on criminals who can be identified and recover as much misspent taxpayer dollars as possible,” said State Auditor Shad White. Coleman was sentenced by the Forrest County Circuit Court to 3 years of Pre-Trial Diversion Program and ordered to pay a total of $2,824 in restitution and $175 in fines. Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s office at any time by clicking the red button on the Auditor's website or calling 1-(800) 321-1275 during normal business hours.

The Mississippi Office of the State Auditor is proud to announce that we returned $113,165.59 back to taxpayers in the month of April.

State Auditor Shad White Issues Statement on Anne McGrew's Sentence in Welfare Misspending Case JACKSON, Miss. – "The first person was sentenced to prison today in the welfare fraud scheme that my office uncovered over six years ago. My understanding from prosecutors is that the court will be sentencing the other six people who pleaded guilty soon," said State Auditor Shad White. "Our court system often takes time to function, but today it took a step toward justice for the taxpayers who were defrauded in the largest public fraud scheme in state history."

The Trump Administration has announced a federal crackdown on Medicaid fraud. This is great news. Some of the Medicaid findings our office has identified include: - Over $600,000 in improper payments made on behalf of deceased Mississippians - Anywhere from 5-7% of Medicaid dollars in any given year going to people who make too much money to be on the program. We found one couple living in a home valued at over $1.3 million who were on the Medicaid rolls - Over $10.5 million over three years being spent on healthcare for illegal immigrants. Medicaid fraud is happening across the country. Every state needs to work on making sure that Medicaid dollars are spent properly.

Auditor's Office Arrests Two Tallahatchie County Road Department Employees JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced that Special Agents from his office have arrested Willie Garner and Willie Williams, Tallahatchie County Road Department employees, for allegedly defrauding Tallahatchie County by using county equipment, materials, and labor to deliver dirt to the home of Willie Garner. Garner and Williams both allegedly utilized county dump trucks and labor to deliver dirt to Garner’s home for his own personal benefit. “The Auditor’s office has zero-tolerance for theft of taxpayer funds and we will continue to work closely with prosecutors to hold criminals accountable,” said State Auditor Shad White. Garner and Williams both face up to $10,000 in fines and 15 years in prison if convicted. All persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s office at any time by clicking the red button on the Auditor’s website or calling 1-(800) 321-1275 during normal business hours.

Watch WTVA's coverage on our latest report that identified over $10.5 million in taxpayer funds spent on healthcare for illegal immigrants over three years. 👇👇👇

Over $10.5 Million in Taxpayer Funds Spent on Healthcare for Illegal Immigrants in Mississippi Over Three Years JACKSON, Miss. – Mississippi taxpayers spent over $10.5 million on Medicaid for illegal aliens from federal fiscal year 2023 to 2025 according to a new report from State Auditor Shad White. “If this money had gone to benefit lawful citizens, it could have reduced our taxes, paid our teachers, paid our police officers—frankly anything would be better than serving as a magnet for illegal immigrants to come to the United States,” said White. Federal law requires hospitals to provide emergency services regardless of immigration status, but it also requires states to report how much taxpayer money is spent providing these medical services to illegal immigrants. However, the Mississippi Department of Medicaid did not report spending on illegal immigrants to the federal government until after the State Auditor’s Office released a 2024 report on the taxpayer cost of illegal immigration. “The only answer here is to have a federal government continue to do exactly what the Trump Administration is doing, which is close our borders and enforce our immigration laws,” said White. “In addition, I pushed hard for a new law to make illegal immigration a state crime, and that bill passed this year, which will also help.” After identifying Medicaid’s shortcoming in the 2024 report, State Auditor Shad White commissioned a follow-up analysis to determine why Mississippi’s Medicaid program had never reported spending on illegal immigrants. As a result of this work, the Mississippi Division of Medicaid (DOM) identified over $10.5 million spent on providing Medicaid for illegal immigrants over three fiscal years. “Mississippi taxpayers deserve to know the cost of illegal immigrants in our state,” said White, “even if it makes some folks uncomfortable. My team will always tell you how your money in being spent, warts and all.” The full report can be found under the “Reports” tab on the Auditor’s website and searching “illegal immigrants.”