JACKSON- State Auditor Stacey Pickering announced today that Stacie Stroud, a former employee of Mississippi State University has pled guilty to embezzling $34,315.79 by using her state-issued procurement credit card for personal purchases.

Stroud was an employee at MSU’s research facility located at the Stennis Space Center in Hancock County. She was sentenced to four years of probation under the supervision of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

Mississippi State University’s Internal Auditors discovered the discrepancies with Stroud’s state-issued procurement card and reported the allegations to the State Auditor’s Office in February 2009.

Stroud pled guilty to misusing her procurement card for personal purchases including her neighborhood homeowner’s dues, a birthday party, payment on her student account at MSU, Amazon.com, Office Depot, and the campus bookstore. In addition to the use of her procurement card, Stroud also charged personal fuel expenses to a Chevron fuel card, property of the University.

“Our office has investigated multiple cases involving government employees making personal purchases on government-issued procurement credit cards,” said State Auditor Stacey Pickering. “In many instances, the individual is very creative in an attempt to cover their tracks and works hard to ensure that few people oversee their day-to-day functions. Although procurement cards make it more convenient for government employees to make necessary and authorized purchases, the convenience does not allow for less oversight and pre-authorization. With the heightened awareness of the abuse of procurement cards, agencies, local governments and elected officials must have the necessary checks and balances in place to ensure that taxpayer funds are not misspent.”

The State Auditor’s Office took exception to$42,691.95 which includes $34,315.79 in principal, $1,511.76 in interest; and $6,864.40 in investigative costs. Stroud repaid $42,691.95 to the court following her appearance in court on Thursday, December 9, 2010.

Stroud, 33, was employed with Mississippi State from September 2007 – February 2009.