RANKIN COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) – A Rankin County judge granted a directed verdict Tuesday, finding former Richland Mayor William ‘Pat’ Sullivan not guilty in a payroll fraud case stemming from county documents first uncovered in a 3 On Your Side investigation.
The verdict came down minutes before a jury would be allowed to decide Sullivan’s fate.
“There’s so much wrong with the state’s case, I don’t know where to begin,” said Rankin County Circuit Judge Bradley Mills. “The state not only failed to prove intent, they failed to prove fraud, they failed to prove the fraudulent timesheets were submitted. We’re not gonna waste this jury’s time, not one more second.”…