Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. Brett Favre Scandal: Alleged $8 Million Welfare Scam, Explained - Forbes Help keep the momentum going by rejoining our member community today. Instances of fraud and abuse in Mississippis welfare system were widespread, including among other organizations who received subgrants from the Families First nonprofits. However, in saying that, we want to be good stewards of all financial support. of interest to residents of Northeast Mississippi. JACKSON, Miss. Founded in 2016 as the states first nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom, Mississippi Todays roots in Capitol coverage have grown to encompass a myriad of beats beyond politics and policy, including education, public health, justice, environment, equity, and, yes, sports. Johnson said, "I never had any problems prior to that. following organizations: Whoops! The total amount of money lost to the schemes has not yet been determined but the loss already exceeds any embezzlement scheme in the records of the auditors office, White said. The matter was referred to the Hinds County District Attorney Office for criminal prosecution after terminating her employment. Farmington City Clerk Arrested for Embezzlement Mississippi Office of Blanton explained that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General had told the state agency not to interfere with its investigation and that the auditors office was already aware of the federal investigators involvement. DiBiase was allegedly paid to teach classes about drug use and instead used the money to pay for his own drug rehabilitation in Malibu, California. This inability to validity MCECs records is further complicated by the fact that the principals of MCEC are currently under indictment and essentially unavailable to MDHS to review any further documentation or answer questions.. We confirmed that it was John Davis who was making those approvals on the money. The former director of Mississippi's welfare agency was arrested on charges that he took part in a scheme to embezzle millions of dollars for personal use and to pay for a former professional. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). The audit released less than a year later said that according to its budget, Victory Sports used the nearly $1.4 million welfare subgrant to pay for staff and coaches, a program design fee, equipment, an onsite nurse, marketing and other administration costs, and to purchase a $20,000 trailer and a $70,000 vehicle. Shad White:Transparency: Is Mississippi spending too much or not enough money on childrens programs? We prefer Author Name, Mississippi Today in the byline. By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with Mississippi Today. JACKSON, Miss. Mr. Michel took orders, and millions of dollars, from a Malaysian financier who sought to gain political influence in the U.S., prosecutors said. Check back for updates. There was a reception area, a 10 x 10 room with two tables and 6 chairs and another office. On a separate visit, she said, they found no employee present. Theyve also started bringing in subgrantees for training on whats expected and how they can best meet federal guidelines. In the nearly two years after agents first arrested Davis, Whites office has publicized continued findings related to welfare spending and Anderson has made media appearances to discuss changes at his agency as it attempts to restore public trust. You have to credit Mississippi Today. In welfare scandal, judge weighs public interest versus the right to a Johnson said, "I was a special investigator, special investigator, a DHS investigator.". Executive Director John Davis was two-and-half-years into his time as head of the agency when they decided to add an Office of Inspector General within DHS. You can only publish select stories individually not as a collection. An accountant involved in a a major embezzlement scheme has pleaded guilty to her role in a staggering theft of welfare money in Mississippi, the poorest state in the U.S. Hinds County Circuit. That ultimately led to (Wednesday's) arrests," DHS officials said in a statement. Editorial cartoons and photo essays are not included under the Creative Commons license and therefore do not have the "Republish This Story" button option. Looking for something special to get your mom for Mothers Day? Federal authorities and internal investigators at Mississippi Department of Human Services eventually began investigating the subgrantee, 100 Black Men of Jackson, an agency spokesperson told Mississippi Today on Tuesday. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds are part of a lawsuit filed against 38 people or companies that seeks to recover millions in federal funds. The money was stolen from TANF funds, federal money entrusted to the state for needs of the poor. Their own outcome reports that they sent the state each month, which were meant to show how many people they served, contained nonsensical figures, Mississippi Today first reported. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. With your help, we've gotten a lot done but we're not finished yet! All TANF funds will go through the RFP process, Blanton said. Suspected fraud can be reported to MDHS online any time by submitting the MDHS Fraud Tip Form athttps://www.mdhs.ms.gov/report-fraud/, calling the Fraud Tip Line at 1-(800)-299-6905, or email at fraud@mdhs.ms.gov. By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with Mississippi Today. Davis also allegedly conspired to use welfare money, which his agency had granted to a nonprofit, to pay for DiBiases four-month long stint in a luxury rehab facility in California. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Johnson says Davis then asked everyone to put away their cellphones and called him into the hallway. Theres a lot of flexibility given for how states use TANF funds. A little less than four months ago October 2019 it was reported that Nancy Drew and her son Zach had donated $5,000 to the Reeves campaign on behalf of their privately owned New Summit School in Jackson. Mississippi Today retrieved a 2017 email from Family Resource Center director Christi Webb, in which she described to Davis allegations of blatant deception at one of their partners, the local community action agency in Greenville, Warren-Washington-Issaqueena-Sharkey Community Action Agency or WWISCAA. by Anna Wolfe, Mississippi Today December 28, 2021, This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.. (T)heir immediate supervisor called a meeting with the staff in Myersville and told them that they had to document names of clients and activities performed in that center. Paul Lacoste did not return calls Tuesday morning. A relative newcomer to Mississippi politics, Shadrach Shad Tucker White is 34 years old and was born in Sandersville in Jones County, MS. Ex-Mississippi official accused of embezzling money meant for poor The welfare agencys documentation, or lack thereof, shows Mississippi Community Education Center and Family Resource Center of North Mississippi did not, as New stated, evaluate the services and outcomes of its grantees. Maine resident sentenced to 3 years in prison for fraud and tax offenses stemming from $1.8 million embezzlement scheme; April 14, 2023. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. With your help, we've gotten a lot done but we're not finished yet! JACKSON, Miss. As we reported, the Mississippi Community Education Center or MCEC was a sub grantee receiving TANF dollars that first flowed through DHS. "Thats to create the transparency. What is the relationship between John Davis and former wrestler and drug abuser Brett DiBiase? What is the relationship between Davis and the News? MDHS discusses largest embezzlement scheme in state history, upcoming policy changes, Mother arrested for leaving children home alone to go to gym, police say, Suspect accused of kidnapping, raping child in South Memphis pleads not guilty, Whitehaven mourns loss of high school band director, City of Memphis takes formal stance on 5-year residency requirement for mayoral candidates. Before joining the staff at Mississippi Today in September of 2018, Anna worked for three years at Clarion Ledger, Mississippis statewide daily newspaper. The purported messages also show a request from Favre asking members of the group to help to pay a $1 million debt Favre owed to the University of Southern Mississippi for the volleyball court he promised the school. Mike Hurst, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, complained on Thursday, Feb. 6, the day after the arrests, that his office had not been notified in advance by the state auditors office. "I now have the opportunity to focus on my family at home and pursue a position outside of state government," Davis wrote in a statement announcing his resignation. Contests. Create a recurring donation today to join our mission. You have to credit Mississippi Today. Davis and Smith created documents and arranged payment knowing DiBiase was not performing the work he was hired to perform, White said. Any chance you and Nancy can help with that? Gov. Johnson returned to the office, but the next day when he came into work, he got the news. Rumor was that some MDHS employees brought the matter to Bryants attention in June, and that Governor Bryant pointed White to the problem. "He asked me, he said do you know who I am? Former Green Bay Packers Quarterback and Hall of Famer Brett Favre has been accused of using his "special access" to former Mississippi Gov. New sent a similar email to former Department of Human Services Director Christopher Freeze, who took over for Davis a few months after Davis retired in 2019. Look for the "Republish This Story" button underneath each story. They then converted funds to their personal use and concealed the conversion through various fund transfers, fraudulent documents, at least one forged signature and deceptive accounting measures, investigators said. John Davis has been indicted in the largest embezzlement and fraud scheme in state history. A judge in the ongoing welfare embezzlement case is balancing the publics interest in learning how officials misspent tens of millions of federal dollars with a defendants right to a fair trial. Punjab refutes Shahid Khaqan's embezzlement allegations in flour scheme MDHS paid Mississippi Community Education Center $19,404 two days before the state auditor's office arrested the News and former Human Services Executive Director John Davis as part of the. Davis attorney argues that when White and Anderson have discussed the case with the media, they have focused solely on Davis actions and not the several other employees who approved various purchases or the agency policies that he argues sanctioned Davis conduct. And they did start an internal audit at the beginning of 2019. MDHS is concerned about the authenticity of MCEC documents due to submission of numerous versions of the same request in a monitoring visit, Anderson wrote to the auditors office in March in response to the latest report. The documentation submitted by the News claimed this was to pay DiBiase for conducting training classes that never, in fact, took place, investigators said. Tate Reeves appointed the agencys current director, Bob Anderson, in March of 2020. Anna Wolfe, a native of Tacoma, Wa., is an investigative reporter writing about poverty and economic justice. Phil Bryant's office in June 2019. Favre declined to be interviewed by Mississippi Today and could not be reached for comment by Forbes, and in 2020 tweeted that he love[s] Mississippi and I would never knowingly do anything to take away from those that need it most., Hey brother [his wife] Deanna and [I] still owe 1.1 million on Vball, Favre purportedly texted John Davis, the former head of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, according to Mississippi Today. Although the total amount of money embezzled has not been determined, Auditor White characterized it as the largest public embezzlement case in state history.. As a reminder, the scheme includes more than $4.15 million dollars in embezzled government money. We have been told by officials with the Mississippi Department of Human Services that former Executive Director John Davis ran the department in an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. Founded in 2016 as the states first nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom, Mississippi Todays roots in Capitol coverage have grown to encompass a myriad of beats beyond politics and policy, including education, public health, justice, environment, equity, and, yes, sports. Mr. DiBiase never gave those classes, auditors said, because he was being treated for an opioid addiction at the Rise in Malibu rehab center in California. Special agents from the office of State Auditor Shad White have arrested John Davis, who retired after 28 years with DHS on July 31 . Start a recurring donation of any amount to further this work and help hold public officials and those in power accountable. Amazon Has Uncanny Dupes of CB2's Popular Dining Chair for Hundreds Less. We believe that an informed Mississippi is a better Mississippi. 0:00. We confirmed that it was John Davis who was making those approvals on the money. Please reload the page and try again. Ricky Jones, who has served as president of 100 Black Men of Jackson since March, said his organization just learned about the investigation last week when DHS notified them they would not be receiving a welfare grant this year.
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