Auditor’s office arrests another business owner named in WLBT ‘Pandemic Profits’ investigation

HINDS COUNTY, Skip. (WLBT) – Agents with the Point out Auditor’s business arrested a business enterprise proprietor considered to be tied to a Hinds County embezzlement plan involving an elected official and hundreds of hundreds in taxpayer dollars, a plan first uncovered by WLBT in a series of investigations final year.

Undare Kidd and his spouse Trafonda Kidd continue being in custody in the Raymond Detention Heart awaiting an preliminary appearance after remaining indicted on fraud and conspiracy.

A information launch from the auditor’s place of work said brokers also presented a demand letter for $49,653.52 to equally persons.

Undare Kidd is the 3rd enterprise proprietor to be arrested in the last three months whose business allegedly been given cash supposed to enable make Hinds County elections safer, county and condition data present.

“This case displays, at the time once more, that there was allegedly fraudulent investing on the 2020 election in Hinds County. We will carry on to perform along with prosecutors to be certain all our 2020 election investing situations are brought to a productive summary,” Auditor Shad White mentioned in a news release. “I am grateful to the investigators and prosecutors for their tricky perform.”

Kidd’s corporation, Modern Concepts 50 LLC, bought far more than $149,000 in contracts, which includes $62,000 to offer foods to poll workers on Election Working day.

Secretary of Condition documents show the firm was fashioned on Oct. 7, 2020, two days ahead of Hinds County Election Commissioner Toni Johnson signed a requisition request that led to the firm’s variety.

A campaign finance document attained by 3 On Your Facet indicates Kidd and Johnson understood every single other Kidd was the third individual to sign the petition for Johnson to run for business office.

Undare Kidd, also spelled Undrae, was one of the first people to sign Johnson's petition to run...
Undare Kidd, also spelled Undrae, was 1 of the to start with persons to indicator Johnson’s petition to operate for office. A enterprise associated with Kidd gained tens of countless numbers of bucks in CTCL contracts.(WLBT)

Individuals connections, first revealed by WLBT in its ‘Pandemic Profits’ investigation past August, highlighted organizations that bought paid dollars from an election grant who did not appear to be experienced to do the get the job done.

Johnson, who was indicted by a grand jury two months in the past on bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges for working with her situation to award hundreds of 1000’s of bucks in contracts to enterprises owned by Undare Kidd, Cedric Cornelius and Sudie Jones-Teague, has not commented publicly on the allegations given that July of past calendar year.

At that time, she reported contractors were selected by the county administrator and paying for department, even though her signature is located on a lot of of the invoices and requisition forms for corporations that ended up hired.

Cornelius’ corporation acquired more than $188,000 in contracts from the county for his organization, Apogee Group II, for get the job done under no circumstances done, in accordance to condition investigators.

Their results also reveal Jones-Teague’s enterprise, New Beginnings LLC, gained more than $122,000 for do the job that did not get done.

Johnson, Cornelius and Jones-Teague are slated to go to trial later this 12 months.

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