Former high school secretary pleads guilty to embezzling nearly $40,000

A former Mississippi high school financial secretary has pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $40,000 in activity fees collected from students and staff.

On Monday, State Auditor Shad White announced that Dana Walker, former H.W. Byers High School Financial Secretary, pleaded guilty to embezzlement.

Walker was initially arrested in February of 2022 by the Marshall County School District Police. The case was then turned over to the Office of the State Auditor for further investigation.

Walker embezzled approximately $39,471.70 in school activity funds that she collected from students and staff between August 2020 and February 2022. Walker was employed as the school’s financial secretary and was entrusted with receiving, documenting, and depositing all school activity funds. This includes various items such as senior dues, athletic uniforms, parking decals, transcripts, and funds received from school sponsored fundraisers.

“Thank you to the investigators and prosecutors in this case. We will continue to have a zero-tolerance policy for fraud in my office,” said State Auditor Shad White.

Walker will be sentenced by the Marshall County Circuit Court on August 13, 2024.

Walker’s employment in the Marshall County School District is covered by a $50,000 surety bond. Surety bonds are similar to insurance and designed to protect taxpayers in the event that public money is misspent.

Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s office online at any time by clicking the red button at www.osa.ms.gov or via telephone during normal business hours at 1-(800)-321-1275.