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Former Town Clerk for Hickory Flat...

Former Town Clerk for Hickory Flat arrested for embezzlement

By: Anne Summerhays - April 19, 2022

Stephanie Churchill was indicted for embezzlement by a local grand jury and presented with a $104,256.92 demand letter.

On Tuesday, State Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from his office arrested Stephanie Churchill, the former Town Clerk of Hickory Flat. Churchill was indicted for embezzlement by a local grand jury and presented with a 104,256.92 demand letter.

Churchill was accused of embezzling Hickory Flat’s Water and Sewage Department funds by not depositing the funds collected from water and sewage bills from October 2018 through February 2021.

State Auditor Shad White said that this is once again, another case where money intended to pay for water in a small town was embezzled and resulted in a big loss for the people of Hickory Flat.

“My office investigates these matters, identifying the facts, but we only make arrests when prosecutors choose to charge someone. We cannot make that choice for them. We also do not control sentences. Courts do that. But when we all work together, taxpayers see results, like in this case,” Auditor White said.

If convicted, Churchill will face up to 20 years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines. The case will be prosecuted by the office of District Attorney Ben Creekmore.

About the Author(s)
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Anne Summerhays

Anne Summerhays is a recent graduate of Millsaps College where she majored in Political Science, with minors in Sociology and American Studies. In 2021, she joined Y’all Politics as a Capitol Correspondent. Prior to making that move, she interned for a congressional office in Washington, D.C. and a multi-state government relations and public affairs firm in Jackson, Mississippi. While at Millsaps, Summerhays received a Legislative Fellowship with the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi where she worked with an active member of the Mississippi Legislature for the length of session. She has quickly established trust in the Capitol as a fair, honest, and hardworking young reporter. Her background in political science helps her cut through the noise to find and explain the truth. Email Anne: anne@magnoliatribune.com