JACKSON – The Wilkinson County Board of Supervisors said they have yet to decide if a justice court clerk, who reportedly promised people she would “fix” their traffic tickets if they paid her, will keep her position. Fifty-three year old Wanda Faye Fountain was arrested on Feb. 17 after the state auditor took control of her office on allegations of extortion.
The state auditor’s office alleges that Fountain collected money in exchange for the improper disposal of traffic citations and that these funds were not properly deposited into the Justice Court of Wilkinson County account.
Pickering also said the tickets were not forwarded to the Department of Public Safety for entry on driving history records.
Wilkinson County Chancery Clerk Thomas Tolliver said Fountain has worked for the county for about 15 years – in various capacities – and the board of supervisors had placed her on administrative leave with pay pending the investigation.
On Feb. 17, State Auditor Stacey Pickering took control of the Wilkinson County Justice Clerk’s Office by closing the doors to the public during their investigation and conducting an audit of the cash on hand.
Lisa Shoemaker, a spokesperson for Pickering’s office, said this was a first for the state auditor.
“This was the first time [we] had to take over an office,” she said. “We had control of the [justice clerk’s office] from the Thursday we went in until the following Tuesday when a new clerk had been appointed. And in that time period, all bank accounts were closed and new ones opened and the lock on the building door was changed.”
Shoemaker said the board of supervisor’s has authority over the justice clerk’s office and they subsequently appointed an interim clerk in Fountain’s absence.
As of their April 4 board meeting, Wilkinson County Board President Robert Morgan said Fountain’s arrest has not been discussed by the board of supervisors and whether she keeps her job will be determined by the outcome of her criminal investigation.
Pickering said this investigation was a covert operation” and just one of “several undercover operations being conducted by the State Auditor’s Office across Mississippi where we have received allegations of public employees taking bribes to fix traffic citations. Our special agents do an excellent job on behalf of the taxpayers of Mississippi to ensure that public employees and elected officials are held to the highest level of accountability,” he said.
Fountain was charged with extortion for collecting the unauthorized fees and her bond was set at $5,000 which she posted the same day.
“This arrest is just the first step of what is an ongoing investigation,” Pickering said.
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