Investigators accusing ICC employee of creating fraudulent document
ITAWAMBA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Two scams happening at the same time under the same workforce training program and now a community college is being ordered to pay 1.2 million dollars.
Those are the allegations State Auditor Shad White made today.
Investigators are accusing Itawamba Community College employee, Joe Lowder, of creating fraudulent documents to hide a double-billing scheme.
Lowder is accused of billing private companies and the Mississippi Community College Board for Workforce Enhancement Training or WET funds.
A demand letter was issued for more than 12 thousand dollars.
He was also indicted on a fraud charge.
Meanwhile, Edie Washington is accused of submitting fake documents to ICC for WET funds and receiving over 680 thousand dollars.
Washington worked for a furniture manufacturing company owned by Jennifer and David Schock and turned in the paperwork for the company.
A demand was issued to Washington and the Schocks for over 864,000 dollars.
Washington was indicted on a fraud charge.
The State Auditor’s office is also accusing ICC of paying a large amount of WET funds to Southern Motion, a private furniture company, without ensuring requirements were met.
A demand was issued to the community college for over 1.2 million dollars.
ICC did issue a statement to WCBI, saying in part… For over two years, ICC has fully cooperated with and has been incredibly responsive to the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office in its investigation.
The community college hired a law firm to conduct an internal investigation into the allegations and strongly denies any and all allegations of illegal or improper activity by the institution or any employees.
ICC says it looks forward to its day in court.
To read the full statement from ICC and the State Auditors office, click here.
