Former Columbus CFO sentenced to prison for embezzlement found dead

RANKIN COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The embattled former Columbus Chief Financial Officer that pleaded guilty to stealing from the city has died in prison.

The Rankin County Coroner’s Office confirmed Milton Rawle died this past Saturday.

He was being held at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, near Pearl.

Rawle pleaded guilty to embezzlement in February 2021. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to repay the city more than $108,000.

State auditors had accused him of taking nearly $290,000 over a two-year period.

There is an ongoing investigation into Rawle’s death.

By state law, anyone in law enforcement custody that dies must have an autopsy.

That autopsy is incomplete at this time. We have reached out to the Mississippi Department of Corrections for comment.

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