JACKSON — State Auditor Shad White announced Thursday that special agents with his office arrested Luther Russell, the former Laurel public works director, on allegations that he used city equipment for personal work and attempted to conceal evidence, the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor said.
According to the auditor’s office, investigators allege Russell directed employees to load a city-owned track hoe onto a city low-boy trailer and transport the equipment to his property, where it was used for personal work. Officials also allege the heavy equipment damaged the roadway outside Russell’s home.
After the county instructed that the roadway be repaired, the office said, Russell allegedly ordered employees to disable a GPS tracking device on a city-owned vehicle to conceal the vehicle’s movements while repairing the road.
“Thank you to the agents in my office who did the hard work in uncovering this scheme,” White said in a statement. “We will continue to work closely with prosecutors to get record results for taxpayers.” The auditor’s office said Russell faces up to $8,000 in fines and up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
The State Auditor’s Office noted that all persons arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The office encourages the public to report suspected fraud by visiting its website or calling 1-800-321-1275 during normal business hours. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
