A fifth indictment has been served on a former city of Starkville Parks and Recreation employee after a months-long investigation into the misuse of public funds in the department.
An Oktibbeha County Grand Jury indicted Anthony Stevenson on a single count of conspiracy to defraud the state for his role in the Parks and Recreation embezzlement in July, and his indictment was officially served on Thursday. He is the fifth former employee of the department to be indicted after he turned himself in to police on the felony embezzlement warrant in January.
The indictment alleges Stevenson entered into an “agreement” or a “conspiracy” with Herman Peters, the former Parks director, to defraud the city of Starkville by obtaining wages based on false claims.
The Starkville Daily News previously reported the conspiracy occurred between January 2015 and November 2017.
The Starkville Board of Aldermen voted to fire director Peters in January, after the five Parks employees, including Peters, were accused of embezzling a sum of $21,702.50 in just under a three-year time frame.
Stevenson worked as a contractor for the Parks department and was accused of embezzling $4,082.50.
Former Parks employees Marion Watson, Dianne Evans, Schronda Eddins and former Parks director Peters were all served their indictments by the grand jury for conspiracy to defraud Starkville this summer prior to Stevenson.