Another former Mississippi road worker charged with stealing $22,000 in county fuel
Published 6:20 am Monday, December 9, 2019
A second former road worker in an eastern Mississippi county has been charged with stealing county fuel.
Charles Edward Houston of Meridian turned himself in to authorities Tuesday morning and was charged with one count of embezzlement.
Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun tells The Meridian Star that investigators found Houston, a 53-year-old former foreman in the county road department, used county fuel cards to buy more than $22,000 in fuel for himself.
Houston’s bail was set at $10,000. It’s unclear if he has a lawyer.
Jerry Glen Morgan of Toomsuba was charged with embezzlement last month. Officials estimate the former county worker stole about $237,000 in diesel fuel over two years.
Calhoun says officials anticipate more arrests.
County road manager Rush Mayatt has announced changes to the fuel card system, including new personal identification numbers, training and restrictions on how much fuel an employee may purchase.