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Alcorn County Businessman Pleads in Corruption Case

A Corinth businessman, jailed two years ago on a 60-count indictment, will spend the next three years under house arrest after pleading guilty.

Douglas Allan Essary, 59, owner of Essary Truck Sales & Parts Inc., was indicted in August 2015 on 56 counts of submitting fraudulent documents and four counts of conspiracy to fraudulently obtain public funds. At the same time, State Auditor Stacey Pickering issued a demand in the amount of $44,168.17, which includes the principal amount, interest and investigative costs.

Monday, Essary pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud Alcorn County and two counts of submitting fraudulent documents. Senior Circuit Court Judge Thomas Gardner sentenced Essary to three years in the Intensive Supervision Program (house arrest) followed by two years of probation on one conspiracy charge. He received suspended five-year sentences on the other three charges.

The judge ordered him to pay the full restitution and added a $10,000 fine. In addition to supporters in the courtroom, around four-dozen people wrote letters to the judge attesting to Essary’s character.

“We wanted prison time,” said District Attorney John Weddle. “We had offered them a plea deal with two years (in prison). Instead, they entered an open plea and it worked out in their favor.”

Essary was accused of scheming with former Alcorn County officials by submitting fraudulent invoices to Alcorn County supervisors in districts 1 and 2. He allegedly inflated the cost of invoices and also turned in invoices for work that was never done.

His arrest was part of a lengthy corruption investigation that led to criminal charges against five Alcorn County vendors, former county purchasing clerk William Paul Rhodes, former District 2 Supervisor Jimmy “Dal” Nelms and former Alcorn County Sheriff Charles Reinhart.

One Comment

  1. Jay Anthony Jay Anthony December 13, 2017

    And people wonder why this county is about broke…I suggest Mr.Pickerings business in Alcorn County is not finished.

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