A former employee at Vicksburg National Military Park has pleaded guilty after admitting to stealing park admission fees.
Yolanda Ward, 40, was a supervisory fee management specialist at the Civil War battle park from 2017 to 2019. According to court documents, she fessed up to removing cash deposits from a safe and keeping the money for personal use. As part of her job, she was trusted with depositing visitor fees.
Ward said in court she used the stolen funds to pay her bills and gamble at a local casino in Vicksburg. She also loaned some of the money to family members so they could gamble as well.
After pleading guilty on Tuesday, Ward faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She will be sentenced on November 4 with a federal district court judge deciding her punishment.
