Today State Auditor Shad White announced that former Alcorn County tax collector Larry Ross plead guilty to false representations to defraud the government. The case was prosecuted Friday in Judge Funderburk’s courtroom, where Ross accepted his plea agreement.

Ross is guilty of creating a false bill of sale for a motor vehicle to lower the tax burden for an Alcorn County resident.

“Thank you to the district attorney’s office for their dedicated work to bring this case to a close,” said White. “The investigators in my office will continue to hunt down illegal uses of taxpayer dollars in every corner of the state.”

Ross was served with a $69,155.23 demand letter at the time of his arrest. The demand amount includes interest and investigative expenses. District Attorney John Weddle’s office prosecuted the case.

In addition to five years of post-release supervision, Ross was ordered to immediately resign from the Alcorn County Tax Collector’s Office and remove his name from the ballot.

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.