A former Benton County tax assessor is locked up after allegedly pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer funds.
Special agents from the Mississippi Office of State Auditor arrested Shannon Wilburn on one count of embezzlement in public office. The former county employee is accused of taking more than $300,000 in daily collections paid to the Benton County Tax Collector’s Office for his own personal use.
“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,” State Auditor Shad White said.
Wilburn faces up to $5,000 in fines and 20 years if convicted. 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.
