Former Coahoma Community College employees Gwendolyn Jefferson and Stacie Neal were each sentenced Monday to serve five years in prison.
Both women pleaded guilty to conspiracy and embezzlement following an investigation by the State Audit Department.
Neal also pleaded guilty to making fraudulent statements. Jefferson and Neal were both arrested in June 2019.
The guilty pleas were recorded in Judge Charles E. Webster’s courtroom with several officials asking for leniency. Neal was sentenced to five years on conspiracy to commit embezzlement, 15 years on the count of embezzlement, and five years on the county of falsifying records to defraud the government. The sentences were reduced to five years to serve followed by five years of supervised probation followed by five years of unsupervised probation. Jefferson was charged with conspiracy and embezzlement and also received a five year sentence under similar terms.
Under Mississippi sentencing law they could be eligible for parole in two to three years.
Both Neal and Jefferson said they would pay restitution.
The sentences were part of a plea agreement with District Attorney Brenda Mitchell’s office.
Clarksdale Mayor Chuck Espy and Coahoma Community College Board of Trustee Chairman Rev. Dennis Hawkins were character witnesses for Jefferson who appeared in court with a BiPAP machine, and saying she was in bad health.
Espy took the stand saying he had known Jefferson all his life, she was a neighbor and worked on his campaigns. He asked for some form of house arrest. Rev. Hawkins also asked for house arrest and mercy for Jefferson.
Assistant District Attorney Rosharwin Williams asked both Espy and Hawkins if they felt Jefferson knew the difference between right and wrong, that Coahoma Community College struggled to get adequate funding, that CCC traditionally served economically disadvantaged minorities and stealing from the college was in effect stealing from those students, to which both Hawkins and Espy answered “yes.”
Judge Webster said this was the largest embezzlement case he had ever heard and a similar case where a man was charged with embezzling $100,000 saw that man get 10-years.
“I will be shocked if such a large amount of money is ever repaid,” said Webster. “Because of the magnitude of this crime, I find what the district attorney is offering is very lenient.”
Jefferson was charged with embezzling approximately $204,000. Neal with more than $504,000.
Jefferson and Neal made over $750,000 of personal purchases while using Coahoma Community College credit cards and checks. They purchased gift cards, shoes, watches, a chandelier, and other items with public funds from January 2013 to September 2017. The scheme was uncovered when Jefferson and Neal forgot to conceal a purchase record.
“The work done to hold these individuals accountable sends a message about the seriousness of stealing from the taxpayers,” said Mississippi State Auditor Shad White “If you steal from the people of Mississippi, there will be consequences.”
Neal and Jefferson are convicted of a felony and will never be able to handle public money again. Both women were ordered to repay hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution, which will be in addition to the $100,000 already returned to Coahoma County taxpayers.
Webster said any bond covering employees at CCC would have to be pursued by CCC in civil court.
Also in Coahoma County Circuit Court this past week, Maple Melton saw embezzlement charges against her dropped by the State Attorney General Lynn Fitch.
On Dec. 8, 2015, former CPU Office Manager Melton was indicted on nine counts of embezzlement.
A formal demand was issued on Dec. 14, 2015. On March 17, 2017, this case was transmitted to the Office of the Attorney General.
Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s office online at any time by clicking the red button at www.osa.ms.gov or via telephone during normal business hours at 1-(800)-321-1275.
