(MISSISSIPPIOFFICE OF THE STATE AUDITOR NEWS RELEASE) – Today Auditor Shad Whiteannounced Special Agents from his office have arrested former Quitman CountySchool District employee, Linder Howze-Campbell, after she was indicted forfraud by a grand jury assembled by District Attorney Brenda Mitchell. A demandletter worth $72,031.44 was delivered to Howze-Campbell at the time of herarrest. The total demand amount includes interest and the cost of theinvestigation.
Howze-Campbell allegedly submitted fraudulentdocuments to circumvent laws designed to save money for taxpayers. Because sheoversaw the gifted student program for the Quitman County School District,Howze-Campbell knew a business could be paid more money to identify giftedstudents in the district than the salary she could be paid for the same work.She is accused of fraudulently operating her own business – L & AEducational Services – under the name of her friend, which caused the schooldistrict to overpay for gifted student identification services. The schooldistrict paid nearly $50,000 to Howze-Campbell’s business from 2015-2017 inaddition to her salary.
A routine audit led to suspicion Howze-Campbell hadsubmitted forged business contracts to the school district. Investigatorsdetermined the friend she listed as executive director of L & A EducationalServices was never an employee of the company. They also identified over 50fraudulent checks Howze-Campbell wrote from an L & A Educational Servicesbank account without the knowledge of the person listed as executive directorof the company. The checks were issued directly to benefit Howze-Campbell, adifferent company she owns, and a church where she serves as pastor.
“After Howze-Campbell’s company submitted unusualtesting data, increased scrutiny by the Department of Education helped uncoverfraud and led to a successful investigation,” said Auditor White.“Mississippians deserve to know that public employees and private consultingfirms are providing the work they say they are, and this type of willful fraudis inexcusable. We will recommend the stiffest penalty possible.”
Howze-Campbell surrendered to Special Agents at theQuitman County Jail. She waved arraignment, and her bond was set at $5,000.
If convicted, Howze-Campbell faces $10,000 in finesand 5 years in prison. All persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of theState Auditor are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Thecase will be prosecuted by District Attorney Mitchell.
No surety bond covers Howze-Campbell’s employment atthe Quitman County School District. Surety bonds are similar to insurancedesigned to protect taxpayers from corruption. Howze-Campbell will remainliable for the full amount of the demand in addition to criminal proceedings.
This arrest comes after a recent audit report showed aformer school district financial officer in Hinds County spent education fundsimproperly.
Additionally, the Auditor’s office has releasedmultiple reports in the past year showing administrative andoutside-the-classroom spending in our state has increased in the last 10 years,and the inside-the-classroom spending rate in Mississippi compares poorly toother southern states.
“The Auditor’s office under my leadership willcontinue to look for fraud in the places that are most important toMississippians, and the education system is at the top of that list,” saidWhite. “We will not tolerate theft from the taxpayers and schoolchildren ofthis state.”
Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’soffice online any time by clicking the red button at www.osa.ms.gov or via telephone during normalbusiness hours at 1-(800)-321-1275.