Since then, the subgrantee process has changed and the state plan for TANF reflects those changes. The Auditors office has made it clear that the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are still possible. 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MDHS discusses largest embezzlement scheme in state history, upcoming policy changes, Mother arrested for leaving children home alone to go to gym, police say, Suspect accused of kidnapping, raping child in South Memphis pleads not guilty, Whitehaven mourns loss of high school band director, City of Memphis takes formal stance on 5-year residency requirement for mayoral candidates. Agents also arrested DHS employee Latimer Smith; Dr. Nancy New, owner and director of the Mississippi Community Education Center and New Learning; Zach New, assistant executive director of MCEC; Anne McGrew, accountant for MCEC; and former pro wrestler Brett DiBiase in connection with the multimillion-dollar embezzlement scheme.Tap here for mugshots. We are verifying those as well to determine the validity of such. Nancy New and her son, Zach New, stand accused of using the News nonprofit, MCEC, to pay for DiBiases drug treatment using TANF funds, White said. As a nonprofit, your support is what powers our work. She received the National Press Foundations 2020 Poverty and Inequality Award. Ricky Jones, who has served as president of 100 Black Men of Jackson since March, said his organization just learned about the investigation last week when DHS notified them they would not be receiving a welfare grant this year. He had the latitude to unilaterally disperse funds as he felt necessary or wanted to, Blanton confirmed. Former DHS director, wrestler arrested in 'largest public embezzlement case in state history'. Anne McGrew is the accountant for the Mississippi Community Education Center. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using. Follow him on Twitter @gbolognaCL. On Tuesday, Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Adrienne Wooten spoke strongly in defense of a gag order in the case of former welfare director John Davis, saying that media coverage of the scandal threatens the courts ability to assemble an impartial jury. All rights reserved. Former Mississippi DHS Accountant Will Testify In Embezzlement Case Johnson says he had heard rumblings from other employees but didn't pay much attention. ( WJTV) - A former employee for the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) was arrested for embezzlement after an investigation by the Investigations Division of . That ultimately led to (Wednesday's) arrests," DHS officials said in a statement. The funds were instead taken by a group of influential people for their own benefit, and the scheme is massive. Shortly after last year's arrests in the largest reported public embezzlement scheme in state history, a whistleblower disclosed several previously unreported fraud allegations to the welfare department regarding one of its federal grant recipients. Maine resident sentenced to 3 years in prison for fraud and tax offenses stemming from $1.8 million embezzlement scheme; April 14, 2023. Copyright 2020 WLBT. By the time these meetings occurred in April, July and August of 2020 former welfare department director John Davis, who was indicted last year for his critical role in the alleged scheme, had been retired for about a year. White was appointed State Auditor by then-Governor Phil Bryant in 2018, when State Auditor Stacy Pickering resigned. We are placing high priority on employee morale and engagement. In 2020, officials said the loss exceeds any embezzlement scheme in the records of the Auditors office., You stuck your neck out for me: Brett Favre used fame and favors to pull welfare dollars (Mississippi Today), Phil Bryant had his sights on a payout as welfare funds flowed to Brett Favre (Mississippi Today), 8 revelations from Part 1 of The Backchannel investigation (Mississippi Today), This is a BETA experience. and I told him I was fine with it, you know that I was okay. "I now have the opportunity to focus on my family at home and pursue a position outside of state government," Davis wrote in a statement announcing his resignation. At Davis direction, MCEC used TANF money received from DHS to pay for DiBiases opioid treatment at the Rise in Malibu facility, White said. The funds mostly came from a federal welfare grant program administered by the Mississippi Department of Human Services, and both the head of the nonprofit and the former head of the MDHS have been charged with and pleaded not guilty to embezzlement and fraud for their roles in the scheme. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Founded in 2016 as the states first nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom, Mississippi Todays roots in Capitol coverage have grown to encompass a myriad of beats beyond politics and policy, including education, public health, justice, environment, equity, and, yes, sports. White launched the initial investigation into how Davis administered welfare. DHS made a post on Facebook Wednesday saying it "self-reportedthe information" that led to the investigation. Hall of Fame Gold Jacket Dinner on August 4, 2016 at the Canton Memorial Civic Center in Canton, Ohio. Several people were arrested and charged on Feb. 5, 2020. Davis and Smith created documents and arranged payment knowing DiBiase was not performing the work he was hired to perform, White said. They then converted funds to their personal use and concealed the conversion through various fund transfers, fraudulent documents, at least one forged signature and deceptive accounting measures, investigators said. The audit released Tuesday also criticized the welfare department for continuing to fund two now-embattled nonprofits well into fiscal year 2020, as Mississippi Today first reported last July, even after learning that the auditor suspected they were responsible for the misspending of tens of millions of welfare dollars, the audit said. You and Nancy stuck your neck out for me with jake and Prevacus I know and thats going to turn out very good I believe.. Davis attorney recently asked the court to extend an existing suppression order in his case to include White and Anderson, citing two recent articles Mississippi Today published about the case. MDHS discusses largest embezzlement scheme in state history, upcoming policy changes, Beloved Mississippi school bus driver killed during crash with 18-wheeler, Eleven players with Mississippi ties selected in 2023 NFL Draft, Truck possibly connected to Hinds County jail escape found in Newton County, Paraplegic fisherman speaks to Beulah Baptist Church, Belhaven football puts a smile on the face of little girl, City of Byram awarded thousands of state dollars for infrastructure projects, 58-year-old man shoots brother after argument over a dog in Hazlehurst, Request a First Alert Weather School Visit, Advertising Non-Discrimination Certification. District Attorney John Weddle's office will prosecute the case. Check out these great suggestions. The agency expects to soon file civil charges against Davis and others who received the funds. White confirmed in an interview earlier today that Governor Bryant, himself a former state auditor, was indeed the whistleblower who brought the case to the state auditors office in June. He attended a professional development conference led by Davis outside the department and he says the encounter left him confused and embarrassed. They dont need it at the moment. For example, the people in charge of spending welfare dollars paid $5 million to help University of Southern Mississippi build a new volleyball stadium, paid retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre $1.1 million for a promotional gig, bought a horse ranch for former high school running back Marcus Dupree, paid over $3 million to Brett DiBiases brother Ted DiBiase Jr., also a retired WWE wrestler, to conduct professional development, hired officials friends and family members and paid them six-figure salaries, and paid rents on properties they owned that sat empty. The audit released less than a year later said that according to its budget, Victory Sports used the nearly $1.4 million welfare subgrant to pay for staff and coaches, a program design fee, equipment, an onsite nurse, marketing and other administration costs, and to purchase a $20,000 trailer and a $70,000 vehicle. Former MDHS Director John Davis pleads guilty to defraud conspiracy MDHS discusses largest embezzlement scheme in state history, upcoming MDHS Embezzlement Part 1: Charges and evidence Seven New England fishermen charged with tax evasion and failing to file returns "Chapitos" charged in department's latest actions to disrupt flow of illegal fentanyl and other dangerous drugs But fast forward to that afternoon session and my cell phone began to vibrate. The welfare agency possessed no records showing the outcomes of those programs, an agency spokesperson said. Instances of fraud and abuse in Mississippis welfare system were widespread, including among other organizations who received subgrants from the Families First nonprofits. wrestler Brett DiBiase, 31, who state auditors said was paid with welfare funds for teaching classes about drug use. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. If youre not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: This story was originally published by Mississippi Today and include our website, You cannot republish our editorial cartoons, photographs, illustrations or graphics without specific permission (contact our managing editor. We work to provide free, accessible news for everyone to create a more informed Mississippi and hold public officials accountable.
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