QUITMAN COUNTY, Miss.–The Quitman County coroner and his aunt have been arrested, accused by the State Auditor’s office of defrauding the county.
Auditor Shad White said Thursday Coroner Randy Hester and his aunt Brenada Paittman were arrested by agents with the auditor’s office for submitting false invoices to the county under the guise of a fake business for services they did not provide.
The business name was MFC Transit.
“Bank records listed Hester’s personal address as the business address for the account. Hester allegedly submitted invoices for the transportation of bodies using MFC Transit. Hester then charged the county for transporting bodies that were transported by other funeral homes,” read a news release from White’s office.
“The dedicated team at the State Auditor’s Office will continue to work closely with prosecutors to get record results, one case at a time,” said White.
Hester faces up to $10,000 in fines and up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Pittman faces up to 5 years in prison if convicted.
Also in Quitman County a landlord has been accused of defrauding Mississippi’s taxpayer-funded, rental assistance program of more than $16,000.
White says Vernell Survillion faces up to five years in prison if convicted on a fraud charge for submitting false documents under the names of his renters to get that money.
