Benton County Tax Collector Arrested and Accused of Taking $300,000

The former Benton County Tax Collector has been arrested and accused of taking $300,000 from the government office, according to State Auditor Shad White.

Today State Auditor Shad White announced that Special Agents from his office have arrested Shannon Wilburn, former Benton County Tax Assessor, on one count of embezzlement in public office.

WilburnPhoto byAuditor Shad White

Wilburn has been accused of taking more than $300,000 in daily collections paid to the Benton County Tax Collector’s office for his own personal use, according to the release.

“The dedicated team at the State Auditor’s Office will continue to work closely with prosecutors to get record results, one case at a time,” said State Auditor Shad White.

Wilburn faces up to $5,000 in fines and 20 years if convicted. All persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, the press release states.

A $200,000 surety bond covers Wilburn’s employment as the Benton County Tax Assessor. Surety bonds are similar to insurance designed to protect taxpayers from corruption. Benton County also has an insurance policy that covers theft.

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