From Media Reports
ABERDEEN – The former manager of the North Lee Water Association has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of falsifying water samples.
Dan Durham, 66, waived indictment and entered a guilty plea in U. S. District Court in Aberdeen Wednesday afternoon.
The water district was required to provide samples from wells across the association to the Mississippi State Department of Health for testing. The federal charge accuses Durham of having the sample drawn from one well, but submitted as being taken system wide.
The allegations against Durham were made by past and present employees more than one year ago.
Durham was forced to resign his position in October 2011 by the board of supervisors.
According to the DJ Journal, supervisors met with Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley, and representatives from the Department of Health and the Mississippi Rural Water Association to deal with customer concerns about the quality of the water.
Other allegations against Durham included: Water association employees working side jobs for Durham while on the clock and that many of those jobs occurred on personal property; water samples were taken from one location instead of from throughout the district as required; the same tools for water work were used as for sewer work, and that Durham’s grandson – a water association employee – was paid but rarely – if ever – showed up to work.
Durham will be sentenced at a later date.
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