JACKSON, Miss — The Mississippi State Auditor announced Tuesday Special Agents from his office arrested Stephanie Churchill of Benton County on embezzlement charges.
Churchill, the former Town Clerk of Hickory Flat, was indicted for embezzlement by a local grand jury.
According to the State Auditor's office, Churchill is accused of stealing nearly $85,000 from Hickory Flat's water and sewage department fund by not depositing the funds collected from utility bills from October 2018 through February 2021.
A demand letter of $104,256.92 was presented to Churchill upon her arrest, which includes 1% interest for each month the money was stolen, and investigative expenses.
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Churchill will remain liable for the full amount of the demand in addition to criminal proceedings.
“This is, once again, another case where money intended to pay for water in a small town was embezzled. It resulted in a big loss for the people of Hickory Flat,” said Mississippi State Auditor Shad White. “My office investigates these matters, identifying the facts, but we only make arrests when prosecutors choose to charge someone. We cannot make that choice for them. We also do not control sentences. Courts do that. But when we all work together, taxpayers see results, like in this case.”
If convicted, Churchill will face up to 20 years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines.
A $50,000 surety bond covers Churchill’s employment as the Town Clerk of Hickory Flats. Surety bonds are similar to insurance designed to protect taxpayers from corruption.
