JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – A former employee of the City of Jackson was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars in grant money intended for artistic projects in the city.

On Tuesday, Keyshia Sanders was also ordered by a federal judge to pay $54,379.70 in restitution and a special assessment fee of $100.

In January 2023, the former Constituent Service Manager for Jackson pled guilty to engaging in a wire fraud scheme to fraudulently induce the disbursement of grant money for her own benefit. 

The scheme involved the use of fraudulent invoices that caused the grant’s fiscal agent to disburse funds to Sanders in clear contradiction to the terms of the grant and Sanders’ role as a City of Jackson employee.

The grant was intended to provide project support in the City of Jackson to invest in artists, artist collectives and small arts organizations of color. In total, the fraudulent transactions caused by Sanders over the course of the scheme totaled a loss of approximately $54,000.