Photo: WTVA
UNION COUNTY, Miss.–If you’ve ever wondered just how county coroners make their money, the case of one who got too greedy shows it’s through death investigations. Former Union County Coroner Mark Golding will spend four years in the state pen for making claims on deaths he never investigated and getting paid over a quarter million dollars of your tax money.
The exact amount was $276,591.56. That amount was submitted in false claims over time to the Union County Board of Supervisors and was paid out to Golding, according to State Auditor Stacey Pickering.
Golding pleaded guilty this week to fraud charges and under a new state law he can never work in Miss. government again in any capacity.
“This is the first case where a former public official will be subjected to Senate Bill 2625,” said Pickering. “Under the new law, Golding will not be able to work for any governmental agency or subdivision in Mississippi again.”
Golding also has a lot of money to repay. With interests and the cost of the investigation, it comes out to $398,418.83.
Golding was sentenced on two county to five years each, a total of ten years. Six were suspended.
