Quitman Coroner and his aunt plead guilty to body transport scheme
QUITMAN, Miss. (WCBI) – A North Mississippi coroner and his aunt pleaded guilty to a body transport scheme.
Coroner Randy Hester pleaded guilty to false representations to defraud the government and conspiracy to fraudulently obtain public funds.
Brenda Pittman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the state.
State Auditor Shad White announced the pleas.
The duo opened a bank account under a bogus business they created. It was called MFC Transit.
He was accused of submitting invoices for the transportation of bodies using MFC Transit and then charging the county for transporting the bodies.
Investigators said those bodies were actually taken by other funeral homes.
Hester was prohibited from billing the county for the routine transportation of dead bodies as the coroner.
He was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to repay more than $12,000 in restitution.
Pittman was sentenced to two years of probation.
