BELZONI — A Mississippi court clerk has been indicted and arrested on charges that he overpaid himself and created fake court cases to drive up fees he collected.

Humphreys County Chancery Court Clerk Lawrence Browder was indicted Monday on one count of making fraudulent statements.

State Auditor Shad White says Browder was arrested Monday and released. It’s unclear if Browder has a lawyer.

White says Browder illegally obtained more than $237,000.
If the money is not repaid within 30 days, White says, Browder faces a civil lawsuit.

White says Browder forced his staff to create false youth court and lunacy cases from January 2016 to January 2017, pocketing $31,350 in fees. The remaining $206,000 comes from fees White says Browder paid himself that were above a $90,000 yearly cap allowed by law.