Former Laurel Public Works Director Arrested for Alleged Misuse of City Equipment

JACKSON, Miss. – State Auditor Shad White announced today that special agents from the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor have arrested Luther Russell, the former Public Works Director for the City of Laurel.

Russell is accused of using heavy equipment owned by the City of Laurel to perform work on his personal property and attempting to conceal the activity by ordering employees to disable a GPS tracking device on a city-owned vehicle.

According to the Auditor’s office, Russell allegedly instructed employees to load a City of Laurel track hoe onto a city-owned low-boy trailer and transport the equipment to his private property. Investigators say the equipment was then used to perform work at the location.

Authorities also reported that the road outside Russell’s residence was damaged when the heavy machinery was moved to the property. After county officials directed that the roadway be repaired, Russell allegedly instructed employees to disable the vehicle’s GPS tracking system so the city vehicle could be used to repair the damage without detection.

State Auditor Shad White praised the work of his investigative team.

“Thank you to the agents in my office who did the hard work in uncovering this scheme,” White said. “We will continue to work closely with prosecutors to get record results for taxpayers.”

If convicted, Russell could face up to $8,000 in fines and as many as 30 years in prison.Officials emphasized that all persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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