JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – A former employee of the City of Jackson pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars in grant money intended for artistic projects in the city.

Keyshia Sanders, 47, the City of Jackson’s former Constituent Service Manager, 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 Sander’s 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.

Sanders is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20. She faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison.