A former city of Jackson employee has been convicted for fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars in grant money intended for artistic projects in Mississippi’s capital city.
According to court documents, 47-year-old Keyshia Sanders, the city’s former constituent service manager, pleaded guilty to violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, for engaging in a wire fraud scheme to fraudulently induce the disbursement of grant money for her own benefit.
The scheme involved the use of fraudulent invoices that caused the grant’s fiscal agent to disburse funds to Sanders in clear contradiction to the terms of the grant and Sanders’ role as a city employee. The grant was intended to provide project support in Jackson to invest in artists, artist collectives, and small arts organizations of color.
In total, the fraudulent transactions caused by Sanders over the course of the scheme totaled a loss of approximately $54,000.
Sanders is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20, in Jackson, and faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office investigated the case Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew W. Eichner is prosecuting the case.
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