By Jeremy Pittari, Item Staff Writer
The Picayune Item
PICAYUNE —
A Biloxi man is facing a second embezzlement charge from his employer for allegedly taking a cash down payment and pocketing the money.
Originally arrested on Jan. 8, for his alleged involvement in the felony embezzlement of $4,000 that occurred on Dec. 21, 36-year-old Lee Patrick Palmer is now facing a second felony embezzlement charge for taking $6,000 from a separate account where the customer used a cash down payment and would finance the rest, said Assistant to the Chief of Police Jeremy Magri.
However Palmer, of 831 Cedar Lake Rd., Biloxi, is charged with taking the cash down payment and turning in the paper work as though the customer would finance the entire cost of the vehicle, Magri said. Due to Palmer filing the paper work without a down payment the loan company denied the loan application, causing the owner of the dealership to become alarmed and contact the Police Department.
The subsequent investigation showed Palmer, who is currently housed at the Criminal Justice Center in Picayune, was responsible for taking the cash down payment and altering the paper work so the full amount of the vehicle would be financed, Magri said. A warrant was issued and Palmer was additionally charged with a second felony embezzlement on Friday, Magri said.
His first charge stemmed from a vehicle purchase on Dec. 21, where a customer purchased a vehicle with $4,000 in cash. Instead of entering the purchase as a cash sale, Palmer forged the paper work to attempt to show the customer financed the vehicle through a non-existent loan company, according to a previous story in the Picayune Item.
Magri said the investigation is continuing and additional charges could be filed against Palmer.
