Hands in the Till: Embezzlement of Public Monies in Mississippi

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments I thank the University of Southern Mississippi for granting me a sabbatical leave in the fall of 2004to jump-start this project. While many people provided encouragement and support, the contributions of several in particular must be acknowledged. Mississippi State Auditor Phil Bryant encouraged me to focus on the embezzlement of public monies and ensured the complete cooperation of his agency. I am grateful to the men and women of the Investigations Division of the Office of the State Auditor and their director, Jesse Bingham.Without their commitment to public service, their attention to detail, and their dedication to the OASand to the taxpayers of Mississippi, this book simply could not have been written. My wife, Dorothy Crockett, served as the first reader and made numerous helpful suggestions and corrections. As always, she was understanding and supportive of my efforts, and I am more than blessed to have her. Charles Jordan,professor of accountancy and valued colleague at the University of Southern Mississippi, was the second reader; he, too, made many corrections and useful recommendations. Pamela Massey, who is an excellent copy reader (as well as being my cousin), also reviewed the manuscript and offered many helpful insights and suggestions. xix This page intentionally left blank Hands in the Till This page intentionally left blank ...