Guilty deputy now back on county payroll
STEVEN A. McCALEB
103 ALVERADO DRIVE
LONG BEACH, MISSISSIPPI 39560
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Road department hired jail-scam conspirator in 1999
THIS SHOWS THE POWER OF THE
"GOOD OLE BOY"
SYSTEM in
MISSISSIPPI
By GEOFF PENDER
THE SUN HERALD
SUPERVISOR LARRY BENEFIELD
Friday, August 18, 2006
GULFPORT - A former Harrison County sheriff's deputy convicted of scamming taxpayers continues to draw a paycheck from the county.
This is known as the , "good ole boy network," Jimmy W. McKay will not tell the federal government what they need to know. For his silence he would be taken care of by the good ole boys.
Jimmy W. McKay pleaded guilty in September to conspiring to defraud the federal government. Last month, he was placed under house arrest for six months, given three years of probation and ordered to pay $70,742 in restitution. McKay is one of four former deputies convicted of running a bogus inmate educational program in the 1990s.
I was under the impression that the federal government was supposed to be hard on anyone which defraud the federal government.
But I am becoming dishearten toward the federal government, I can see how crime pays. If I knew I would only get six month house arrest, with three years probation, and only pay back $70,742.00 of the thousands of federal money (your tax dollars) he was paid, it would be worth anyone's time to defraud the government.
McKay, who left the Sheriff's Department, was hired to work for the Harrison County Road Department at the Lyman Work Center. Records show he was hired in April 1999, shortly before he and others were indicted by a federal grand jury. He is paid $928 every two weeks as a full-time "equipment operator II," payroll records show.
Is it my imagination or is Harrison County Supervisor, Larry Benefield always doing the wrong thing.
It seems like McKay knew he was going to be hired by the Lyman Work Center. His name is well known in Harrison County, WLOX-13 and the Sun Herald Newspaper covered the conspiracy on all of the people involved in defrauding the federal government.
These people which have taken care of Jimmy W. McKay knew what he was going to say too the federal government.
Jimmy W. McKay also knew that Supervisor Larry Benefield, Terry Broadus and other would be hiring McKay, so it was a done deal.
"I think he's kind of an odds-and-ends worker," said Terry Broadus, county road manager. "I think he's a truck driver, and he helps the mechanics out. I think he even cuts grass sometimes."
Terry Broadus thinks McKay is a helpful worker. He would like for you to think he barely knew Jimmy W. McKay.
I guess I would try and distance myself from such a well known person knowing he is being convicted of defrauding the federal government out of thousands of taxpayers money.
And I find it funny that the Lyman Work Center comes under Supervisor, Larry Benefield.
Broadus said he and the elected county Board of Supervisors would have had to sign off on hiring McKay, but that managers at the Lyman Work Center would have made the actual hiring decision. Broadus said he has no concerns about McKay working for his department.
I guess Broadus would not care if McKay was working for Supervisor, Larry Benefield's Work Center.
And I would all most bet Benefield and Broadus knew McKay would be working at the Work Center long before he was convicted.
"He's a good employee," Broadus said. "There's no problems as far as I know. Our employees are not out dealing with the public that much."
What does being a good employee have to do with hiring McKay. Since he is a convicted felon at this time why is he working where he is still drawing a taxpayer checks.
Perhaps he is still working for his retirement, he must stay in county employment to get the years needed to retire.
Supervisor Larry Benefield, whose district includes the Lyman Work Center, said he was unaware that McKay continues to work for the county. He said the Board of Supervisors technically signs off on hires but doesn't get involved with individual positions. BS
I do not know how to respond to this statement.
There was so much coverage on television and in the newspapers about this conspiracy, Larry Benefield had to know.
"With our labor positions in the county, we probably have several people that have been in trouble, been through jail and probation, that have been good employees," Benefield said. "To pay restitution, you have to have a job. BS
I could be wrong about this, but isn't a background investigation conducted prior to hiring a county employee.
But Jimmy W. McKay would not need to be investigated, he conveniently quit he position at the Harrison County Jail. Then applied for a position at the Harrison County Work Center after making a deal with the, good ole boy network.
"Yes, I might have some concerns, now that this has been brought to my attention," he said. "My main concern is that he's not in a position that could be detrimental to taxpayers. Being a convicted felon on probation and under house arrest, that probably limits what he can do - he couldn't be around the inmate work crews.
Like they did not know he is a convicted felon and on probation, house arrest.
I beginning to believe that our politicians believe, "We the Taxpayers," will believe everything they say.
I for one, have asked the Governor, Ronnie Musgrove, to remove all of the Harrison County Supervisors.
I also believe the Sun Herald should be commended for there steadfast coverage concerning the corruption in Harrison County.
"Now that I'm aware of it, I will check into that. I want to make sure we're not making any exceptions for him to work there. I think the whole board would have a problem with that."
It would be interesting to know how many applications there were for the position when McKay was hired.
Not that is matters, except their may have been a person that really needed that job to feed his family.
Politics come first !
McKay's sentence of home confinement allows him to go to work. He is required to pay at least $300 a month on his restitution.
Let look at the math, McKay must pay $70,742.00 at $300.00 per month.
That comes out to 238.8 months or 19.65 years to pay the $70,742.00 back, and that is without interest.
In exchange for McKay's cooperation and pleading guilty to the conspiracy charge, federal prosecutors dropped other charges against McKay and another former deputy.
I wonder what deal was made in order to obtain a lighter sentence?
Former jail warden Bruce Carver Sr. last week was sentenced to 31 months in jail and another deputy was sentenced to 24 months.
I would say receiving a 31 & 24 month sentence's for ripping off the federal government and the taxpayers for six years is an extremely light sentence.
McKay
"Yes, I might have some concerns, now that this has been brought to my attention. My main concern is that he's not in a position that could be detrimental to taxpayers. Being a convicted felon on probation and under house arrest, that probably limits what he can do - he couldn't be around the inmate work crews. Now that I'm aware of it, I will check into that. I want to make sure we're not making any exceptions for him to work there. I think the whole board would have a problem with that." BS
"My main concern is that he's not in a position that could be detrimental to taxpayers."
Like six years was not enough, lets hire him so he can finished his state retirement and ensure he does not say anything about us.
STEVEN A. McCALEB
COMMENTARY