BENTON COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – On Tuesday, April 19, State Auditor Shad White announced special agents from his office arrested the former town clerk of Hickory Flat.
Stephanie Churchill was arrested after being indicted for embezzlement by a local grand jury. A $104,256.92 demand letter was presented to Churchill upon her arrest.
According to White, Churchill embezzled funds from Hickory Flat’s Water and Sewage Department. He said she did not deposit the funds collected from water and sewage bills from October 2018 through February 2021.
“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 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.
