Sardis water official arrested for alleged embezzlement

The former water official of the city of Sardis was arrested for embezzlement.

State Auditor Shad White announced Tuesday that special agents from his office had taken Lisa Goodson into custody. Goodson is accused of taking cash from water bills and then deleting the transactions from the payment system to cover up the theft.

“My office will continue to crack down on cases big and small and ensure taxpayer money is spent properly,” White said. “As always, prosecutors must decide whether to take our cases and charge an individual before we make an arrest, so I'm grateful to be able to work with prosecutors across the state on cases like this one.”

If convicted, Goodson faces fines of up to $5,000 and five years in prison. Goodson's employment as an employee of the Sardis City Water Department is secured by a $50,000 bond. Bonds are similar to insurance policies designed to protect taxpayers from corruption.

According to the City of Sardis' official Facebook page, Goodson was hired in April of this year.