Former Meridian parks and recreation director Kelvin McGruder Sr. is denying an allegation he prepared fraudulent time sheets, according to a statement from the office of his attorney, Joseph Denson. 

“Our client stands on the fact that during his tenure as an employee for the City of Meridian, MS, he performed his work as he was trained by former employees in any position that he held,” the statement said. “Our client never had an internal nor external complaint regarding any of his books or department dollars coming up short.” 

McGruder surrendered to agents from the state auditor’s office at the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department Wednesday and was released on a $5,000 bond, according to Logan Reeves, a media relations representative with the auditor’s office.

He has been charged with making fraudulent statements and representations. 

The indictment, filed Nov. 14 in Lauderdale County Circuit Court, states: “Kelvin Bernard McGruder, Sr. in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, between the dates of December 1, 2016 through April 30, 2018, did, with intent to defraud the City of Meridian, knowingly and willingly, make false, fraudulent statements or representations, knowing the same to be false and fraudulent, in that he did prepare fraudulent time sheets on behalf of Kelvin Bernard McGruder, Jr., to the City of Meridian and based upon said false and fraudulent statements or representations, Kelvin Bernard McGruder, Sr. did receive monetary compensation in the sum of Three Hundred Twenty Nine Dollars and Forty Three Cents ($329.43), in violation of Section 97-7-10 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, Annotated and contrary to the form of the statute in such cases made and provided and against the peace and dignity of the State of Mississippi.”