JACKSON – The former director of Crime Stoppers, Margaret Cooper, recently plead guilty to embezzlement, State Auditor Stacey Pickering said. Cooper was the director of the Advisory Council of Mississippi Crime Stoppers from July 1, 1998 to Jan. 27, 2006, when she was terminated from the Department of Public Safety.
Cooper began two years in the Pre-Trial Intervention Program on April 13, 2010, which will result in non-adjudication once she completes the program.
Cooper has repaid the $2,400.89, the principle of the funds embezzled, at the time of her plea; however a remaining $2,696.34 is outstanding and accounts for investigative costs and the interest on the funds embezzled.
The State Auditor’s Office will continue to pursue recovery of those remaining funds.
“The deal made with Margaret Cooper does not represent the punishment I hoped to see,” Pickering said. “Crime Stoppers is an integral part of our law enforcement community in Mississippi, and Margaret Cooper betrayed the public trust by using Crime Stopper funds to pay for movie theater tickets, visits to the hair salon and veterinary hospital and several other personal purchases.”
Pickering’s office said the embezzlement took place from 2004 to 2006, and the investigation began in September 2006 and concluded in 2009, prior to being presented to the grand jury by the district attorney.
“The District Attorney’s Office in Hinds County had an excellent opportunity to make a statement and set the stage for others who may consider embezzling taxpayer funds,” Pickering said. “The actions taken in this case are a disgrace to the hundreds of Crime Stoppers across Mississippi that work diligently in supporting Mississippi’s law enforcement efforts.”
The Crime Stoppers Advisory Council was created to advise and assist in the creation of local Crime Stopper programs across the state.
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