RANKIN COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – A former clerk at the Rankin County Tax Collector’s Office pled guilty to embezzlement.

Brittney Phillips was arrested in November 2023. State Auditor Shad White said Phillips admitted to embezzling cash from the Rankin County Tax Collector’s Office by not registering car tags and taking the cash payments.

Phillips was served with a $36,583.47 demand at the time of her arrest.

“I’m grateful for the work of the Rankin County Tax Collector for turning this case over, the investigators, and the prosecutors who worked together to bring this case to a close,” said White. “By working together with other offices, my team has recovered more money for the taxpayers in the last five years than any other five-year period.”

Phillips was prosecuted by the Rankin County District Attorney’s Office. Phillips was sentenced to 10 years, six years suspended, four years to serve and five years of supervised probation.

Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s office online by clicking the red button at www.osa.ms.gov or calling 1-(800)-321-1275 during normal business hours.