Former Ellisville Deputy City Clerk arrested for embezzlement

JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - A former Ellisville Deputy City Clerk has been arrested for embezzlement, according to the Office of the State Auditor.

State Auditor Shad White announced special agents from his office arrested Emerald Wuertz on an embezzlement charge.

The state auditor’s office said Wuertz is accused of altering customers’ payments to their water accounts to embezzle funds meant to pay their water bills. Wuertz would allegedly delete a customer’s cash payment after it was entered and take the cash.

Upon arrest, Wuertz was served with a demand to repay $41,246.20.

“Thank you to the investigators on my team who work to uncover and stop the theft of taxpayer dollars around the state,” said White. “We will continue to work with prosecutors, who decide when to charge an individual with a crime.”

Wuertz faces up to 10 years and $25,000 in fines if convicted. All persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Jones County District Attorney Brad Thompson’s office will prosecute the case.

A $50,000 surety bond covers Wuertz’s employment as the Ellisville Deputy City Clerk. Surety bonds are similar to insurance designed to protect taxpayers from corruption.

The state auditor’s office said Wuertz will remain liable for the full amount of the demand in addition to criminal proceedings.

According to the Jones County Jail inmate roster, Wuertz was booked into the adult detention center on Tuesday. She received a $20,000 bond, and she was released on Wednesday.

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

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