JACKSON – A former Mississippi State University employee has pled guilty to embezzling more than $34,000 from the school and she was sentenced to four years probation. Thirty-three year old Stacie Stroud worked in the research facility at the Stennis Space Center, in Hancock County, from September 2007 to February 2009.
Mississippi State Auditor Stacey Pickering said Stroud used her state-issued procurement credit card for her own personal use and embezzled $34,315.79.
Mississippi State University’s Internal Auditors discovered the discrepancies with Stroud’s state-issued procurement card and reported the allegations to the State Auditor’s Office in February 2009.
Stroud pled guilty to misusing her procurement card to pay for personal purchases including her neighborhood homeowner’s dues, a birthday party, payment on her student account at MSU, Amazon.com, Office Depot, and the campus bookstore.
In addition to the use of her procurement card, Stroud also charged personal fuel expenses to a Chevron fuel card, property of the University.
“Our office has investigated multiple cases involving government employees making personal purchases on government-issued procurement credit cards,” said Pickering. “In many instances, the individual is very creative in an attempt to cover their tracks and works hard to ensure that few people oversee their day-to-day functions.”
Pickering also said that: “Procurement cards make it more convenient for government employees to make necessary and authorized purchases, the convenience does not allow for less oversight and pre-authorization. With the heightened awareness on the abuse of procurement cards, agencies, local governments and elected officials must have the necessary checks and balances in place to ensure that taxpayer funds are not misspent.”
The State Auditor’s Office took exception to $42,691.95 which includes $34,315.79 in principal, $1,511.76 in interest; and $6,864.40 in investigative costs.
Stroud repaid $42,691.95 to the court following her court appearance.
Stroud is now on probation under the supervision of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
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