Auditor: Ex-clerk stole $300,000 to pay lottery scammers

Mississippi’s state auditor says a former city clerk stole more than $300,000 in government money and sent it abroad in vain hopes of winning an international lottery.

Auditor Shad White on Wednesday demanded that former Bay Springs city clerk Randy James repay more than $325,000, an amount that includes almost $25,000 in investigative and interest costs. White says he could file a civil lawsuit if James doesn’t repay within 30 days.

White spokesman Logan Reeves says the possibility of future criminal charges “remains open.”

White says James created a secret bank account and transferred city money to it, creating and paying fake invoices for services which never occurred.

He says James then wired the money to scammers between August 2017 and April 2018. White says local bank officials became suspicious and contacted city leaders.