Tuesday, State Auditor Shad White announced that Special Agents from his office have arrested Lisa Goodson, former Town of Sardis Water Department Clerk, on one count of embezzlement.

Goodson is accused of taking cash from water payments and then deleting the transactions from the payment system to hide the theft.

 “My office will continue to crack down on cases big and small and ensure that taxpayer money is spent properly,” said State Auditor Shad White. “As always, prosecutors must decide to take our cases and indict an individual before we make an arrest, so I’m grateful to be able to work with prosecutors around the state on cases like this.”

Goodson faces up to $5,000 in fines and 5 years in prison if convicted. All persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

A $50,000 surety bond covers Goodson’s employment as the Town of Sardis Water Department Clerk. Surety bonds are similar to insurance designed to protect taxpayers from corruption.