2 Miss. Aldermen Arrested for Fraud

Jackson, Miss. (Press Release) — Two Mississippi Aldermen have been arrested for filing fraudulent statements, announced Attorney General Jim Hood today.

Jeffrey L. Riley, 48, an Alderman for the city of Sledge, and Ontario Braxton, 41, an Alderman for the city of Coahoma, were both arrested Jan. 8 in separate and unrelated cases. Both defendants are charged with filing a false qualifying statement of intent for the Office of Alderman. Riley and Braxton are both convicted felons and are accused of intentionally failing to reveal that information in their qualifying paperwork. Both have been released on their own recognizance.

If convicted, Riley and Braxton face up to five years behind bars and a $10,000 fine. As with all cases, the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by Perry Tate and prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Stan Alexander of the Attorney General’s Public Integrity Division.