OSA

Official Twitter feed of the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

@shadwhite Link to original press release - https://t.co/jR5M3Ylth5

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

State Auditor Applauds Sentencing in $400,000 School Embezzlement Case

JACKSON, Miss. – State Auditor @ShadWhite released the following statement regarding the sentencing of two former superintendents and a school teacher for embezzling nearly $400,000 from the Department of Education. These arrests and sentencings were an action on the part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

"Thank you to the investigators on my team that helped uncover the facts on this case and to the US Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case,” said State Auditor Shad White. “We will continue to work as hard as we can to hold anyone who steals taxpayer funds accountable.”

The Task Force to Eliminate Fraud is chaired by Vice President JD Vance and works with federal, state, and local partners to identify and stop fraud involving taxpayer funds.

The original press release can be found on the US Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Mississippi’s website link found in the comments of this post.

[State Financial Officers Foundation @SFOF_States]

🚨 Breaking: @OhioAuditor Keith Faber is on Capitol Hill testifying before @GOPOversight in the Universal Basic Fraud hearing.

State financial officers are bringing real solutions to shut down the staggering fraud. This is how you protect taxpayer dollars.

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

Our Office was proud to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi and the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud on this case and get justice on behalf of taxpayers.

"Thank you to my team that helped uncover the facts on this case and to the US Attorney’s Office for prosecuting. We will continue to work as hard as we can to hold anyone who steals taxpayer funds accountable,” said @MSStateAuditor @ShadWhite.

https://t.co/3P74xp9j1P

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

Applications for the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund are now open!

In our previous report of the fund we found that the legislature often awards funds to projects that never submitted an application.

The Legislature should follow the established process and not simply award funds to their own pet projects

[State Financial Officers Foundation @SFOF_States]

✅ Yes @MSStateAuditor Shad White! Spot on.

Every corner of government should be under the microscope. Small agencies, boards & commissions can hide tons of waste and fraud.

Thank you for protecting taxpayer dollars! 👏

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

Today was intern orientation day for our summer interns. They are eager to work hard on behalf of taxpayers!

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

Mississippi can lower car tag fees and provide relief to taxpayers if we get serious about cutting the waste in state government.

"State Auditor @ShadWhite argues that cutting government waste could ease that burden of car tag fees."

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

REMINDER: You can go to the Non-Profit Spending Dashboard under the "Reports" tab on our website and search up any non-profit that received taxpayer funds over the last five years and the state agency that gave them the funds.

The dashboard will be updated to reflect 2026 payments when the information is available. Taxpayers deserve this kind of transparency.

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

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.

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

Service to your country is important. Service to your community is important.

We're proud to serve Mississippi taxpayers everyday at the Office of the State Auditor and we're proud of all Mississippi graduates as they take this next step.

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

Graduates,

Remember to have a servant's heart and never feel like any job is beneath you. Work hard in everything you do and do it really well.

That's the mindset we have here at the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor and it's the mindset all public servants should share.

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

State Auditor @ShadWhite was happy to tell graduates that family is the most meaningful thing in life. Our office even produced a report a few years ago on the taxpayer cost of fatherlessness in Mississippi. This shows that family isn't just meaningful for your personal life, but it's also meaningful to the taxpayer.

Mississippi graduates will go on to accomplish incredible things but Auditor White wanted to remind them that starting a family will be one of the most meaningful things they can do.

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

Former Jones County Road Foreman and Contractor Plead Guilty

JACKSON, Miss. – Today @MSStateAuditor @ShadWhite 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-[phone] during normal business hours.

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

@shadwhite Full speech can be found here - https://t.co/PR0eeum6Ar

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

Congratulations to all graduates!

State Auditor @ShadWhite was honored to give the commencement address to Northwest Mississippi Community College graduates.

Auditor White's full speech can be found on our YouTube channel. His speech had a simple theme: do what's right even when it's not easy.

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

State Auditor Shad White Announces New Audit to Find Waste in Small Agencies, Boards, and Commissions

JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor @ShadWhite 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.

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

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.”

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

Auditor Announces Another Guilty Plea as Part of Operation Payback

JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor @ShadWhite 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-[phone] during normal business hours.

[OSA @MSStateAuditor]

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.