Former Marks clerk gets 12 years for stealing nearly $150,000

Pamela Latrice McNutt, the former city clerk of Marks, was sentenced to 12 years after stealing nearly $150,000 from the City of Marks and leaving taxpayers to absorb the fallout of public money that should have helped keep city accounts in order.

McNutt, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement by a public official. The sentence was handed down March 2, 2026, and later announced by Attorney General Lynn Fitch. Under the court order, McNutt will serve three years on the Intensive Supervision Program, followed by nine years suspended, and she must pay restitution.

The case centered on money paid into city systems that residents and businesses rely on every day. State Auditor records said McNutt stole water and sewer payments, court fines, and privilege or license payments from November 2017 through April 2021. When she was arrested on January 25, 2024, the State Auditor’s Office said she was served with a demand letter totaling $282,714.58.

Fitch’s office said the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office investigated and prosecuted the case after a referral from the Office of the State Auditor. State Auditor Shad White said his office works with prosecutors to stop public corruption and send a message of zero tolerance for theft of public funds. Those state actions placed McNutt’s case within the formal channels meant to protect local governments when public money goes missing.

The losses landed in Marks, the county seat of Quitman County, a city of 1,444 people in the 2020 census. In a small city that size, the theft of money tied to water and sewer payments, court collections, and licensing fees can carry outsized consequences for trust in city hall and confidence in the systems that collect local revenue.