If one wants to allow, or facilitate theft and fraud within an organization, a lack of proper accounting controls and no internal audits would be textbook ways to carry out that goal. By not having proper accounting controls and reporting, theft and fraud could go unnoticed with near impunity. Evidence of theft becomes essentially non-existent or too costly and time-consuming to investigate and uncover.
Back in 2013 this blog exposed alleged schemes to defraud taxpayers of thousands of dollars within the City of Hattiesburg’s Public Works Department. In the course of investigating, the Hattiesburg Patriot submitted two record requests. One request was for the investigative summary conducted by the city’s accounting agency Nicholson and Company, PLLC, and another request was for HPD’s closed investigation summary of the department. Mayor Dupree and City Attorney Charles Lawrence refused all requests for these records. The reason for the denial of the records requests was “personnel matters.” Taxpayers funded both investigations.
Records exempt from public access as listed under statute § 25-61-11. Exempted or privileged records. The statute pertaining to disclosure of personnel information is code section 25-1-100. The Hattiesburg Patriot being denied the investigative summary into departmental theft and alleged criminal activity, as well as a closed police investigation summary, are not protected under Mississippi Code. However, this blog lacked the financial resources to file suit in Circuit Court to get a court order for these documents. This scheme was only exposed when restitution was paid back to the city by the Head of Public Works, Russell Davis and Department Manager, Tim Pittman. Receipts paid to the city are not protected by any privacy laws. So, City Attorney Charles Lawrence couldn’t devise a reason to deny a request for city receipts.
The alleged fraud involved overtime and payroll schemes, maintenance of private vehicles with city paid workers and facilities, as well as the maintenance of a private vegetable garden with city worker labor. The article documenting the alleged fraud is titled Mayor Johnny Dupree Cited “personnel matters” in Scheme: Russell Davis & Tim Pittmon Repaid Over $28,000. Davis and Pittman no longer work with the city.
The Hattiesburg Patriot has finally obtained a copy of the report, which outlines Nicholson and Company’s findings and recommendations. This report has never been made available to the public before. The investigation was ordered by the city council. It is clear in this report’s finding that possible gasoline abuse was at play in Public Works back in early 2012, and recommendations were made to prevent this abuse from re-occurring. Additionally the report recommends that an internal auditor be hired and that they report to the City Clerk. Both of these recommendations were ignored by Mayor Dupree, and they were never put on the agenda to remedy the obvious holes in financial security of taxpayer resources. Had these controls been in place, the gas theft in the water department (around election time) would not have happened. Explanations one could conclude as to why Dupree did not implement these findings would either be: (1) incompetence (2) apathy (3) a role in a possible cover-up (4) involvement in a conspiracy. The Hattiesburg Patriot further alleges that City Attorney Charles Lawrence’s denial was not only unlawful, but possibly a conspiracy to cover-up alleged crimes from public scrutiny.
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The full Nicholson and Associates investigation summary is below.
http://www.mississippimedianetwork.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/94/files/2014/02/nicholson-report.pdf
Corruption in HBurg….wasn’t there another mayor who eventually got caught?……ray nagin?
Shocking..say it aint so!
I get more disappointed every day in our The elected official. This is not some spun story….it is a document that DEMANDS an explanation.
Surprise, surprise. Who’d a thunk it, ?
Deception….this is what leads to the End Times! No one should ever let any man deceive them lest they be deceived in the End! This is the type of things Christians are to watch out for. I am just saying.
Imagine that!!
Being right with God is wonderful. Being right with fellow man has also gotta be right or suffer the consequences with jail or other means of punishment!! What Dupree does today does have an affect on us today tomorrow and years down the road!! He needs to be put out of office ASAP
I’m not saying he isn’t wrong but everything happens for a reason ,the difference between me and other people is I don’t dwell on what other people do wrong, I worry about my self,to have hate in your heart on earthly things is the wrong way to act .I’m only worrying about having my soul right when I have to stand in front of our maker!
He needs to fix our sewage system im so fed up wit this administration….my tax dollars r going to waste!!!!! Yea I said it!
Big surprise there.
Lock up tthis scum bag..
I know a bunch of you will say ” let it go” but I guess you don’t mind your tax money being stolen and wasted. That is , if you even pay taxes.
I’m so shocked…I can’t hardly contain all the shockedness that is coming out of me right now…
Think about it guys, look how long it’s been since Katrina and how long it took to bring charges and prosecution against Nagin…Dupree WILL get his, bank on it….
All Dupree does is look to his king obama in Washington an nothing is done to his sorry ass so he figures nothing will be done to him, do far he’s right
His judgment cometh and that right soon….
Damon Carpenter
I m shocked
Prove it
Was anyone surprised?
As usual, we have to hear from supporters of our corrupt Mayor and corrupt Officials …. “nothing to see here, move along”. Makes me sick. The continued support and willingness of these supporters to ignore undisputed facts of wrong doing is chilling to say the least. At what point, what event, has to happen to cause the supporters of a chronically corrupt group of officials to see the injustice? Clearly taking money directly from their own pocket isn’t enough. Wake Up!
You’re missing the point…these so called Bible Belt people dont care about criminality. Thats how he was put in office! Everyone should be ringing the phones off the hook at the MS State Auditor’s Office complaining. Yes, judgement will indeed come on those voters as well.
And just why in the hell is dumbpree still in office ?? He should and needs to be IMPEACHED as of yesterday!! When are you people who voted to put this corrupt man in the mayors seat going to realize that he NOR anybody else is ABOVE any law(s) that are in place for all of us to follow and abide to. I just hope and pray that in the days to come , someone ( DA’s office ) will do the right thing and throw his ass out in the street where he belongs, him and all his crooked ass cronies/buddies / his own personal “spiritual adviser”/fraud committing thugs that have torn this city apart . One can only think and wonder how great things would be today had Dave Ware been declared the winner of the first election like he should have been given there was a 9-3 verdict by the jury. Hope all you who voted for dumbpree are satisfied now that you have been given proof once again that he has been running a corrupt administration, “Where’s the Mayor ” ??? What answers does he have now about all this news that has been exposed on him with the gas card fraud that he knew about since 2012 ?? And he kept his mouth shut about it ?? BULLSHIT !
Amen Tim!! They wouldn’t be saying it if the shoe was one the other foot!!
Sam I know who judges me but the city of Hattiesburg deserves better than they gotten.. It is our human right to put those that are in wrong doing out of office or behind bars which ever applies
Or the courts…thats why we have them. Always amazed at how accepting some are of corruption if it fits they’re agenda.
Really y’all need to be getting your soul ready for day of judgement instead of waisting your breath on something you have no control let the Lord judge who is corrupt!!
Not surprised….
Ruh-Roh Raggy!
Well I would love to know that they are gonna do something about it but we all know he will get away with like he has with everything else
He was most likely the recipient of some of that stolen gas.
Well he probably just was too busy washing the three or four city vehicles that are always parked at his house.
Some people are above the law…you would think they could fix this…but just keeps traveling on..
Elections have consequences.