BREAKING: Pickering Announces 259 Criminal Charges in Alcorn County Supervisors Conspiracy Case

Rhodes

Nelms

Peters

McNair

ALCORN COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) — The investigation has taken months, but now State Auditor Stacey Pickering is breaking out the details.

Pickering has announced 259 criminal charges against two Alcorn County supervisors, the county purchase clerk and three county vendors.

Joseph McNair, one of the county vendors implicated in the case, has already been charged with fraud in the extensive corruption case. He’s involved with work in one of the Alcorn County supervisory districts.

County Purchasing Clerk William Paul Rhodes is facing earlier charges of obstruction, as well.

Alcorn County District 2 Supervisor Dal Nelms currently faces 156 counts of fraud-related charges. Jimmie Mitchell, another county vendor, faces 32 criminal charges.

The state auditor’s office has described the case as a conspiracy to embezzle and or convert money, equipment and property from Alcorn County.

// Below is further information on the charges, and those implicated in the case, as stated in a press release provided by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor:

“Nelms, 42, of Glen, is charged with 156 criminal counts. Included are charges of embezzlement by a public official, making false representation to defraud the government, fraudulently obtaining public funds, forgery, and conspiracy. Nelms is accused of creating an embezzlement scheme in which he used his position as county supervisor to purchase heavy equipment from a county vendor and receiving payments from the vendor in exchange for the purchases.

Additionally, Nelms is accused of accepting payments from county vendors and using county funds to pay fraudulent invoices for work that was never performed as well as for rental equipment that was never rented. He is also accused of intercepting checks intended for alleged participating vendors, forging their signatures, and cashing the checks. Nelms is also alleged to have used county funds to pay for his wife’s personal cell phone and the accompanying monthly cell phone bill.

Other charges against Nelms include the use of fraudulent mock bidders as county vendors to increase the price of equipment purchased on behalf of the county; having fraudulent vendors sell Nelms’ personal items to Alcorn County, and utilizing a county-owned vehicle to transport his personal boat to and from Arkansas. He is also accused of purchasing personal items for his home on the Alcorn County Lowe’s account. In addition to the arrest warrant, Nelms has been served with a civil demand for $308,244.71. If found guilty of all charges, he could face more than 600 years in prison.

Rhodes, 55, of Corinth, has been charged with 13 criminal counts. Included are charges of conspiracy to commit embezzlement, making false representations to defraud the government, and hindering prosecution in the first degree. Rhodes is accused of using his position as purchase clerk to circumvent the bidding process as a means to facilitate embezzlement schemes, conspiring with others to create fraudulent dumpsites in an effort to avoid investigation, and hindering OSA Special Agents’ investigation by photographing investigative notes and providing them to Nelms. In addition to the arrest warrant, Rhodes has been served with a civil demand for $77,509.94. If found guilty of all charges, he could face more than 60 years in prison.

Mitchell, 43, of Corinth, has been charged with 32 criminal counts. Included are charges of fraudulently obtaining public funds and conspiracy to commit embezzlement. Mitchell is accused of assisting Nelms in the creation of multiple schemes designed to embezzle funds from Alcorn County through the fraudulent sale of nonexistent culverts to the county and fraudulent equipment sales. He is believed to have violated a subpoena in an attempt to conceal various crimes he committed with Nelms. Mitchell has been served with a civil demand for $95,382.35. If found guilty of all charges, he could face more than 150 years in prison.

McNair Jr., 39, of Glen, has been charged with 31 criminal counts. Included are charges of fraudulently obtaining public funds and conspiracy to commit embezzlement. McNair is accused of allowing Nelms to submit fraudulent invoices to Alcorn County on his behalf and paying Nelms a portion of the checks once payment was received. He is also accused of allowing Nelms to use his business to sell personal items to Alcorn County and paying proceeds of the sales to Nelms. If found guilty of all charges, McNair could face more than 150 years in prison.

Danny Roy Peters, 61, of Corinth, the third county vendor implicated in the case, has been charged with 27 criminal counts. Included are charges of conspiracy and fraudulently obtaining public funds. Peters is accused of allowing Nelms to submit fraudulent invoices to Alcorn County under his name and receiving a portion of the payments that resulted from the submission of the fraudulent invoices. If found guilty of all charges, Peters could face more than 150 years in prison.”