Auditor's Office Makes Four Arrests as Part of Operation Payback

JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor Shad White announced that Special Agents from his office have arrested Felisa Suggs, Nathanial Coleman, P’Trance Fields, and Kavisia Blaylock for allegedly submitting and obtaining fraudulent unemployment funds by using the stolen identities of various inmates incarcerated within the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC).

“My office found that over half a billion dollars in illegal unemployment claims were given out during the pandemic,” said State Auditor Shad White. “That’s why my team started Operation Payback to recover as much of that misspent money as possible.”

Agents with the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor discovered four unemployment claims submitted to MDES using the names of inmates incarcerated in the full-time custody of MDOC. Coleman and Fields allegedly took the identities of inmates to which they had close proximity while incarcerated and used their information to submit fraudulent unemployment claims. Blaylock and Suggs then allegedly used various CashApp and bank accounts to launder the fraudulently obtained funds.

Suggs, Coleman, Fields, and Blaylock each face up to $35,000 in fines and 40 years in prison if convicted. All persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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

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