Auditor’s Office: Former Laurel Public Works Director Arrested on Equipment, GPS Tampering Allegations

JACKSON, Miss. — State Auditor Shad White said special agents from his office arrested Luther Russell, the former Laurel public works director, on allegations that he used city-owned heavy equipment on his personal property and tampered with evidence by ordering employees to disable a GPS tracking device.

“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.”

According to the auditor’s office, Russell allegedly instructed employees to load a City of Laurel track hoe onto a city lowboy trailer, transport it to his property and use it there. The office said the heavy equipment damaged the road outside Russell’s house.

The auditor’s office said that after county officials instructed repairs to the damaged roadway, Russell allegedly directed employees to disable the GPS tracking device on a city-owned vehicle to conceal the vehicle’s movement so it could be used to make the repairs.

The office said Russell faces up to $8,000 in fines and 30 years in prison. The auditor’s office also noted that all persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Suspected fraud can be reported via the red button on the auditor’s website or by calling (800) 321-1275 during normal business hours, the office said.

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