Three Sanitation Employees Arrested for Alleged Theft of City Garbage Bags

STARKVILLE – In a shocking turn of events in the low-end crime sphere, three men, two from Starkville and one from Sturgis, have been charged with felony embezzlement for allegedly pilfering supplies of the city’s garbage bags. All three were employees of the Starkville sanitation department at the time of their arrest.

The Accused and the Allegation

The accused – Dylan Coleman, 20, of Sturgis, Douglas Erwin, 31, and Stevenson Tutton Jr., 30, both of Starkville were arrested on Tuesday as per an official release from the Starkville Police Department. It is reported that they stole rolls of garbage bags, a crucial part of the city’s sanitation program which supplies these bags to the residents. The bags theft is believed to have occurred in July.

The Investigation and the aftermath

The details regarding the number of bag rolls allegedly stolen by the three employees have been withheld by the Starkville Police Department. In his statement, Sgt. Brandon Lovelady, SPD’s public information officer, refrained from specifying the number of bag rolls involved in the theft.

As per Navarrete Ashford, the Human Resources Director, who provided employment details to the media, Tutton had been employed since March 2023, Coleman since September 2023, and Erwin had started work in May of this year. Following the allegation, all three have now been terminated from their positions in the sanitation department.

The Bail and the charges

Post-arrest, Coleman and Erwin each posted $5,000 bonds and were released from the Oktibbeha County Jail. For Tutton, the bond sum was $7,000, as he also had an outstanding warrant for a domestic violence charge. He was also released following the payment of his bond.

It is important to note that embezzling public resources is considered a felony in the eyes of the law, irrespective of the monetary worth of the items stolen. Therefore, the crime the three sanitation workers are alleged to have committed is a serious one.

The Community Impact

This incident has caused ripples in the local community, shedding light on the importance of transparency and honesty in public service. Local officials and community members have voiced their disappointment at the alleged actions of the three sanitation workers. It is hoped that this incident will serve as a deterrence to similar acts in the future. Regardless of the severity or value of the crime, any form of corruption in public service adversely affects the community’s faith in these institutions.

With the city’s commitment to thorough investigations and the enforcement of strict punitive measures for such offences, it aims to restore the local community’s trust and create a transparent working environment in public service.