Hattiesburg, Miss. - Allen Haralson, 61, of Hattiesburg, a former kitchen supervisor for the Forrest County Detention Center, pled guilty to conspiracy to steal food and food-related items from the Forrest County Detention Center and conspiracy to commit mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis and FBI Special Agent in Charge Don Alway.
A Criminal Information was filed against Haralson on Nov. 18, 2014, charging him with conspiracy to steal over $5,000 worth of items from a local governmental agency and to commit mail fraud. The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Haralson will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett on February 5, 2015 in Hattiesburg.
Haralson was employed as the kitchen supervisor for the Forrest County Detention Center from at least 2002 through 2014. During that time, he conspired with others to embezzle food or food-related items from the jail by transporting or having such items transported to the homes or businesses of Haralson or his co-conspirators.
Haralson and others also conspired to commit mail fraud in order to carry out their scheme by drafting and submitting Forrest County purchase requisition forms that contained fraudulent entries hiding various stolen food items.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
