Former Coahoma County Public Utilities cashier arrested for embezzlement

Photo: Shoral Bounds (Courtesy photo)

Mississippi State Auditor Shad White has announced that special agents from his office arrested the former lead cashier for the Clarksdale Public Utilities, Shoral Bounds. She was indicted for embezzlement by a Coahoma County grand jury. A $182,771.97 demand letter was presented to her upon arrest. The demand letter includes interest and investigative expenses.

Bounds is accused of embezzling customer utility payments and manipulating the computer systems to show that her daily collections were less than she collected.

“This is, yet again, a person working at a utilities office who took advantage of the very people she should have been serving,” Said Auditor White. “If you know of similar fraud happening anywhere in Mississippi, please contact my office. We are dedicated to putting a stop to this abuse of the taxpayers’ trust.”

If convicted, Bounds faces 20 years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines. All persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The Office of the Attorney General will prosecute the case.

A $50,000 surety bond covers Bounds’ employment at the Clarksdale Public Utilities. Surety bonds are similar to insurance designed to protect taxpayers from corruption. Bounds will remain liable for the total amount of the demand in addition to criminal proceedings.

Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s office online at any time by clicking the red button at www.osa.ms.gov or via telephone during normal business hours at 1-(800)-321-1275.