JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – A former Mississippi State Hospital Police Department officer was arrested in Texas and extradited back to Mississippi after he was indicted for fraud by a Rankin County grand jury.
State Auditor Shad White said special agents presented a $3,135.62 demand letter to Roberto Williams. The demand amount includes interest and investigative expenses.
Williams is accused of submitting fraudulent timesheets to receive payment for time he was not actually working. He allegedly left work for extended periods of time while he was “clocked in” and being paid by the police department.
According to White, this took place from April to June 2020. Officials from the Mississippi State Hospital Police Department contacted the Auditor’s office after noticing discrepancies in Williams’s timesheets.
“I want to thank District Attorney Bramlett, the investigators in the Office of the State Auditor, and all the other law enforcement officers who worked on this case,” said White. “We are committed to working together to safeguard public money.”
Williams was arrested in late January 2022 by the Navarro College Department of Public Safety with assistance from the Lancaster Police Department. He was transported back to Mississippi by the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department. His bond will be set by the court.
If convicted, Williams faces up to five years in prison or $10,000 in fines.