Auditor’s Office Arrests Two Accused of Unemployment Fraud

JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced that Special Agents from his office have arrested Thaddieus Cooper and Artista Garner for conspiracy to defraud the State of Mississippi to obtain illegal unemployment benefits from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) while Cooper was incarcerated and therefore ineligible to receive unemployment benefits.

Cooper made phone calls to Garner, his sister, requesting that she fill out the unemployment application for Cooper while he was incarcerated. Cooper received the illegal benefits via a Way2Go debit card. Garner then used the unemployment card for personal use on numerous occasions.

“These are the latest arrests we’ve made for unemployment fraud,” said State Auditor Shad White. “Thank you to the investigators who worked on this case in my office and the prosecutors who chose to take it.”

If convicted, Cooper and Garner could each face up to 5 years in prison and $1,000 in fines. All persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s office online at any time by clicking the red button at www.osa.ms.gov or calling 1-(800)-321-1275 during normal business hours.