One of three defendants charged in a Tennessee Comptroller’s Office probe of the South Pittsburg Housing Authority has pleaded guilty to felony theft charges under a judicial diversion agreement that could allow her record to be cleared if she stays out of trouble for the next two years.
Leslie Jackson, former public housing manager for the authority, pleaded guilty to charges of theft over $1,000 before Marion County Circuit Court Judge Justin Angel, who granted judicial diversion in the case.
Leslie Jackson, former South Pittsburg Housing Authority public housing manager, pleaded guilty to charges of theft over $1,000 in a probe of the authority by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office.
Terry Case, former executive director of the South Pittsburg Housing Authority, turned himself in Dec. 15, 2015, on charges of theft over $1,000 stemming from an indictment issued Dec. 7, 2015.Jackson was charged in July along with former South Pittsburg Housing Authority accounting director Janice Brooks, who was arrested on charges of theft over $10,000. The authority’s former executive director, Terry Case, was charged earlier this month with theft over $1,000 stemming from the same investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office that looked at records from Dec. 21, 2009, to Jan. 21, 2014.
Twelfth Judicial District Attorney Mike Taylor said Jackson’s agreement requires her to stay out of legal trouble, make restitution of $5,405 to the housing authority and agree to testify in any future trials in the case.
“Since Jackson agreed to testify, the D.A.’s office didn’t oppose the judicial diversion,” Taylor said.