Associated Press
JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi’s state auditor says an indicted county official who committed suicide had been targeted in a prison corruption case, and he is predicting that more charges are to come.
State Auditor Stacey Pickering says Harrison County Supervisor William Martin’s indictment had been “the next step” in the corruption investigation that began with former Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps and Brandon businessman Cecil McCrory.
Authorities say Martin killed himself before dawn Thursday, hours before his scheduled arraignment on federal charges of bribery and witness tampering. He had been indicted last week.
Pickering says he expects more people will face charges in the inquiry.
Epps and McCrory pleaded guilty Wednesday to a bribery scheme where McCrory channeled $1.5 million in cash to Epps as Epps awarded contracts to McCrory and companies he represented.