NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – State Auditor Shad White announced the mayor of Brooksville and the Brooksville city clerk have been arrested for allegedly embezzling funds from the city.

According to White, Brooksville Mayor Earlie Henley drafted checks made out to himself without the signature authority of a second signer. He said Henley also took cash withdrawal slips to the bank to withdraw and pocketed cash from the city’s accounts.

The State Auditor said Brooksville City Clerk Shaquita Malone entered herself into the payroll system as an hourly employee rather than a salaried employee as hired, and she increased her hourly rate to receive funds she was not entitled or authorized to receive.

According to Special Agents from the State Auditor’s Office, Malone is a convicted felon and ineligible to be employed as a City Clerk.

If convicted, both Henley and Malone face up to $5,000 in fines and up to 20 years in prison.

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