State Auditor Shad White has announced that former Deputy Clerk of the Lawrence County Tax Collector’s Office Hollie Summers pled guilty to embezzlement. Summers was arrested by agents in November of 2023.
Summers is guilty of reversing transactions for vehicle registration and renewals and then taking the cash payments for herself.
“Thank you to our dedicated team of investigators and to the prosecutors who chose to indict,” said Auditor White. “We’ve recovered more taxpayer money in the last five years than in any other five-year period, and we’re going to keep going.”
Summers was sentenced by the Lawrence County Circuit Court to 5 years with the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with 1 year of ISP House Arrest with the remaining 4 years suspended and 4 years to be served on Post Release Supervision. Summers was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $21,710.
A $50,000 surety bond covers Summers’ employment as a Lawrence County Tax Collector Clerk. Surety bonds are similar to insurance designed to protect taxpayers from corruption.
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 calling 1-(800)-321-1275 during normal business hours.
